Someone took a Howl at the Moon
by Edwin Nigma
Summary: What if the Winchester brothers were the hunt-ed instead of hunters? A Teen Wolf inspired AU. After their parents were killed by a mysterious hunter years ago, the two brothers are taken in as Betas by a mildly reclusive Alpha named Bobby Singer. Trouble begins when some new hunters show up looking for the cause of the attacks nearby and begin to target the pack they think did it.
1. So It Begins

The two figures sprinted through the dark, weaving around the trees and snapping branches as they ran. Even with enhanced hearing, only 3 sounds were audible: Their heartbeat, the heavy breathing of the person next to them, and the shouting and stomping behind them from the people chasing them.

A steep hill dropped in front of them, looming like the mouth of some terrible beast. They quickly changed direction and continued running. The larger of the two glanced at his brother, his eyes flashing gold. The smaller one's eyes flashed back before they crouched down to all fours to pick up speed. Their fingernails changed to claws for better traction as the jumped over falling logs.

The high frequency pitch caught them off guard and the little one stumbled slightly, both of them returned to their feet to cover their ears. They turned again, both slightly annoyed at their slower pace, and moved away from the source of the sound before picking up speed again.

Another high pitched tone shot their eardrums as the younger one was moving past a fallen tree, causing him to fall. His brother was immediately at his side, trying his best to ignore the ringing in his ears and trying to help him back to his feet. He glanced around, wincing from the loud shrillness and saw a clump of trees that looked decent not too far away and half dragged and half guided his little brother towards them to hide.

They waited, trying to breathe as quietly as possible as the footsteps ran past. The two hunters had been tracking them for the last half hour through the woods. They should've lost them by now but… the older brother's eyes widened slightly in realization. They were being corralled in by the frequency tones, making it impossible to leave the area as long as the hunters could set them off.

The hunters passed without incident. The two werewolves stayed still, waiting in case they came back. The older one scanned the area and checked for a telltale scent nearby. He got to his feet slowly and swore under his breath. He couldn't see all the way around the area from his hiding place. He crouched down next to his brother.

"Stay here until I come back, got it?" he whispered and the thirteen year old nodded.

The older brother stepped out slowly into the night, glancing at the waxing half moon in the night sky above him. They had about a week until it was completely full… His eyes darted around the shadowy woods surrounding him, waiting for the click of a gun or the shouts from the hunters but none came.

He turned back to his waiting sibling and took a step forward before he felt something cinch around his ankle and the world lurched upside down. He gasped in surprise and saw his brother twitch to move to his aid but he quickly held his hand up...down? and shook his head.

"Stay there. Don't move. I'll get myself down." he reassured the younger boy.

The older brother scrunched up slightly to reach at the rope around his foot that was keeping him suspended in the air. He flicked his hand and claws took the place of nails before he swiped at the rope.

It did nothing. His eyes widened in shock and he tried again. _Silver cables._

"Over here!" someone shouted and the older boy knew he was in trouble.

He struggled against the cable, slashed at it, and pulled on the "knot" but nothing worked and the footsteps were too close.

He met his younger brother's eyes and shook his head, seeing the distress his sibling was feeling, but if he came to help, they would both be caught.

The two hunters approached him slowly where he hung suspended, both parties waiting for the other to attack. The boy glared at them and growled, warning them to keep their distance before swiping at the rope again. One of the hunters pulled out a blinking device and clicked it on, blasting the shrill frequency louder than before.

The boy stopped his efforts and growled as he covered his ears to block out the painful loudness. The gun barrel smacked him between the eyes and he went limp.

The thirteen year old watched with tears in his eyes, whether from anger or worry he couldn't decide, as his brother was dragged away in the dark by the hunters. He waited a few minutes until he knew they were gone and then ran back to the house. The woods were clear now that the hunt was over and someone needed to tell Uncle Bobby.


	2. Belly of the Beast

_Breathe slow and easy_ he thought to himself _if you show you're awake, you're screwed._ He took in as much information as he could without his sight. His arms were up above him and something was stuck to his right side under his ACDC t-shirt. The room smelled like metal and gunpowder - both very unsettling - and there was a quiet humming or buzzing sound in the air from his right. He could hear footsteps but not voices which meant they expected him to wake up soon.

_How comforting_ he thought sarcastically.

He knew he couldn't put it off for much longer and he slowly opened his eyes, trying to see as much of everything as possible but the second he did there was a crackling sound and a painful shock went through him. He fingers curled into fists reflexively and he squeezed his eyes shut until the dial was turned down. His green eyes immediately flicked open and into a death glare as he stared at the man in front of him.

"Good morning." the man said with curt insincerity.

The boy rolled his eyes with equal mockery. "Ugh, five more minutes?" he joked despite how obviously dead he was likely to be within the next few hours.

The dial turned up for a shorter amount of time than before but it still hurt. Green eyes flashed to gold and he growled while his breathing grew heavy. This was not going to be a fun day.

"Ready to answer some questions?" the man asked and the boy didn't answer. He was noticing a blonde haired girl off to the left of the gruff man. She couldn't have been older than the boy. _Maybe she could help?_

The older man got into the boy's face and stared him in the eyes.

"Right then, what's your name?"

"What's yours?" the boy responded before receiving another shock. His hope concerning the girl was dampened when he saw that she was controlling the dials.

"Fine then, I'll just guess." he feigned thinking it over. "Invasive, attacks without cause, and frankly ugly. You're in the Arian branch of hunters aren't you? Probably Mister Big-_shot first and asked no questions_ himself."

The voltage went up further on the dials. The boy could feel it and it stung fiercely but it was worth it… probably. He could breathe again after the pain had passed more and found the man pacing back and forth with a slight smile on his face.

"Alright," the man started. "You got me. Name's John Arian, not that this information will do you much good, and _you're_ going to tell us about that little Beta you were running with and where to find your Alpha."

No way was anyone going to hurt Sammy if his older brother could help it.

"Not a chance." the boy growled.

"Well," the man looked at him to reply. "You've only tasted about 15 volts. Regular people can go up to almost a hundred with just basic recovery." the man stopped pacing in front of the werewolf. "Let's see how far a Beta can go."


	3. Call of the Wild

The Alpha in question was pacing along the wood floors of the house and glanced at the clock. The boys should be back by now and he was getting worried. He heard the sound of running feet coming in from the North about a 150 yards away.

_Well it's about time._ Bobby began planning the rant he would unleash on those boys for worrying him so much . He ran out the door just as Sam crashed into him, panting hard from running so fast.

"Sam?! What took you so-"

"-Hunters got Dean!" the boy shouted as Bobby stared at him in shock. His eyes flashed red and his fingers clenched slowly into fists.

_Hunters. Hunters took my boy._

A powerful roar seemed to shake the foundation of the house and the vast woods surrounding it - protecting it. The sound rolled past the trees and over the town, unnoticed by most people.

Dean's ears perked up the second he heard the Alpha calling and his eyes flashed gold. John stepped back at the sudden change before the Beta responded with a howl of his own.

Both of the hunters in the room were startled in confusion before John reached past the girl and turned the dial up to 50 volts. The howl turned into a shout of pain before the dial was turned back down.

Spots appeared in Dean's vision and things began to blur.

"_He can't tell us anything if he's dead, John. Give him a few minutes to think more about his next answer._" the girl's voice sounded distant and slightly distorted.

"_Alright fine, Jo. But not more than 5 minutes._"

The girl, Jo, looked back on their way out the door and Dean shot her a split-second smile. Jo looked at him and then turned, closing the door behind her.

"John, _what are you doing?_" Jo hissed at her mentor. "What about the _code_? He's clearly not an adult and what _proof_ do we have that he's the one responsible for the attacks?"

"He isn't. His _Alpha_ is. This is about avenging those hikers and stopping more people from getting hurt." John explained, studying Jo's doubtful expression. "Jo, think about your mother. Don't you care about what happened to her? Don't you want _revenge _against the monster that did that to her? To you?"

Jo nodded slowly, fingering the necklace her mother had left behind before she was killed. It was an early birthday present. Jo never got to celebrate her birthday with her mother that year or any year since.

"There is no code here." John said gravely. "If he's smart, he'll talk." he motioned to the door. "We'll get him to talk and then we'll let him loose…"

"...Alright." the girl said quietly.


	4. Chapter 4

_Four hours_. Jo rubbed her temples and stared at the dial console. This guy had held out for over four hours now and yet it hadn't become clear to John that he wasn't going to break any time soon.

She felt bad about this anyways, after all he was only a bit older than her. She turned the dial down to give the guy a break.

John was reclining back in an olden wooden chair that they always kept down there in the sublevels of the house. _How can he do that?_ Jo thought to herself. _How can he just sit there relaxing while we put this kid through all of this?_

_For the greater good I guess._

She'd done a lot of things for the greater good in her life. She had to be the one to tell her sister about the things that went bump in the night. Sometimes she felt guilty but other times she knew it was the best and probably safest option but _this_? This was almost a new level of low.

*bbzzzzzzzt* …. *bzzzzzzzt* Jo pulled the vibrating phone out of her pocket to read the message.

"_Hey, are you guys still lurking down there? The pizza's going to get cold."_

Jo smiled as she read the text from her sister. It helped lighten the mood somehow.

"_Yeah. We've got company down here."_ She sent back, looking up for a split second at the werewolf before turning back from the phone. If she looked busy enough, John would let her put off turning the dial for a little longer.

"_Cool. Do they want pizza?"_

"_No."_

"_Lame."_

Jo almost laughed. But then John was standing in front of her with his shadow passing over the phone. She looked up guiltily at him.

"What? She says the food's getting cold."

John's stone neutral face twitched slightly. Jo sighed.

"Yeah yeah, I got it…" she trailed off and looked at the boy, whose head was dropped down. "But I don't think he does."

The man turned and stomped up to the reluctant informant.

"I know you're faking it kid, now I'll ask again one last time. Just tell me where your little pack is hiding out."

Dean shuddered, the man's voice was cold and serious. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out. His fingers were numb and his side burned from being zapped so many times.

He looked up slowly and considered it. _Really and truly_ it crossed his mind. Maybe it was time to give up. To just give the address where Bobby and Sam were…

"No. Never. Not in a million years." he spat.

The hunter's face turned darker as he stepped back slowly to the console.

"Then I don't know how much use you'll be to us."

He flicked the dial and 250 volts charged through the trapped werewolf just as a roar startled everyone.

Bobby and Sam stood in the doorway for a split-second before splitting off to take a hunter.

Jo was on her feet in an instant, snatching a pistol and taser in either hand. Sam charged at her and swatter the gun away.

Bobby swerved to the side as John fired a few bullets in his direction. The Alpha struck the side of the hunter's head and the Arian leader fell to the floor unconscious.

Sam and Jo's fight had not lasted long since the werewolves had the element of surprise. She leaned against the wall, bracing herself for the feeling of teeth or claws to scrape her arm but none came. Sam stood over her and glared, baring his fangs as a warning if she tried anything.

Bobby bolted to the control panel and turned down the voltage. Dean, however, had not stopped shaking.

His back arched itself and the Alpha pulled off the restraints holding him and the wiring that was taped to his side. Dean kept seizing and Sam turned away from the blonde girl to look before running over to his brother's side.

"No." he mumbled quietly as his brother grew still. Very still.

Jo stared at the pack in shock and horror. _We killed him. We were never supposed to kill him. We've gone too far._ Her mind screamed at her. _He's a kid! What did I let John do?!_ She found herself rise to her feet and slowly walk forward. Hoping against hope that maybe he was just faking it again. _But he wouldn't do that now that they're here._

The older bearded man who must've been the Alpha just shook his head, refusing to accept it. He began chest compressions to do anything to bring back his Beta.

They all waited in silence.

_10 seconds….15…...20….25…._

Someone gasped. Green eyes blinked for a few seconds before closing but his breathing continued, even if a little sporadic. Jo breathed a sigh of relief.

The sound must've been too loud because both conscious werewolves rounded on her in an instant, growling. She back away again into the wall. She was unarmed and her best ally was on the floor and completely out of it.

But she was not going to go down with tears or sobbing. Not until the very end and this was _not_ the very end. She stopped and stood her ground, the Alpha scooped the unconscious boy in his arms and began to walk out the door, ignoring the hunters, while the Beta followed, grabbing his brother's hand to make sure he was alright. Bobby stopped in the doorway and looked back at the girl.

"Stay away from my family." The Alpha snarled, his eyes flashing a fiery red, before he turned back and walked out.

* * *

Footsteps were running down the stairs and stopped when it saw the figures moving slowly up.

Lisa gasped and stepped back, clearing space for the pack to move through but she took notice of what she saw: An older man - probably the alpha- was carrying a young man with a green symbol on his arm, just peeking past the sleeve and she couldn't see his face. Then a little Beta, who couldn't be more than 14 at most, following behind. The Beta watched her as though daring her to do something like shout for help.

Not one word was exchanged as they walked quietly out the door. Lisa immediately turned and sprinted down the stairs.

Jo was kneeling next to John, who wasn't moving on the floor.

"Is he alright?" Lisa asked and Jo nodded.

"He's just a little out of it." The blonde reassured. Her voice shook slightly, not many people would notice but Lisa did. She immediately wrapped her arms around her sister, who gave up the tough act for a good 5 seconds.

"It's alright. You're okay. You're alive. We're all okay." she whispered.

"We killed him." Jo breathed.

Lisa pulled back and looked at her sister. "You what?"

"Well, not really but… we almost killed that guy. He would've been dead and-" her voice shook just thinking about it.

"-Joanne, listen to me. Let's focus on you and John right now, okay?" Lisa shuddered just being in the room.

She'd never liked this. _Hunting._ It wasn't her style and she wasn't comfortable with killing things all the time. It made her feel tainted which was why she was grateful that her sister had taken over for her while she got dinner...which had gone uneaten by 2/3rds of the group but still.

Jo looked at her and smiled gratefully and John even started to come to.

Lisa wasn't actually related to either of them but they felt like family and so that's what they became. Jo had helped her move on from her old life after they had both met John. They learned to hunt from his teaching although they sometimes disagreed with him. But hey, he watched out for them and kept them safe. He helped Lisa understand what _really_ happened to their parents when the police told her she was crazy and had an overactive imagination.

But she was right. Monsters had taken her family. She looked over at the pistol that lay discarded against the wall and picked it up. No one was going to take her family again.

"Jo, I need some target practice."


	5. Chapter 5

It became clear after getting him home that Dean would survive but damage had been done. Would it heal? Yes. Was he going to miss the next few days of school? Definitely. But a few days rolled by and Dean seemed back to normal again, if a little jumpy.

"Dean?" Bobby called as the older boy came down for breakfast. "You're going back to you classes again today, alright?"

Dean nodded a little glumly. Did any teenager really like school? _I don't even know if that's possible_ he thought to himself.

Sam on the other hand was happy his brother had recovered so well. He ran up to Dean and hugged him before grabbing a bowl of cereal and sitting down at the table.

Dean grabbed his owl bowl of food and ruffled the top of his brother's slightly shaggy head as he sat down next to him.

"Are you really okay?" Sam asked, still a little concerned.

"Awww, c'mon Sammy. I'm a lot tougher than you think."

They headed out the door a few minutes later.

* * *

"Winchester, glad you could join us. Where've you been the last few days?" the teacher asked as Dean walked through the door of the classroom.

"Out sick, Mrs. B., sorry." he mumbled and walked up to her desk. "Anything big I missed?"

The teacher sighed and handed him a packet covered in equations. "Some light reading is all. Oh, and we have a new student so be sure to make her feel welcome." she motioned to a girl who was passing through the door.

Dean froze when he saw her, tilting his head in recognition and his eyes lit up.

"Lisa?" he asked and the girl looked up and blinked before smiling back.

"Well now, if it isn't the crazy boy who lived next door." she grinned.

"Alright, enough flirting you two. Take your seats." the teacher interrupted.

They sat next to each other near the back of the class, barely suppressing the grins.

"I haven't seen you since you moved away! It's been ages!" Dean only barely disguised his voice to a whisper.

"I know! We should totally hang out at lunch and catch up!" Lisa suggested but Dean shook his head sadly.

"Sorry, I don't know. I need to meet up with Sammy."

"Oh, that's right! How is he doing?" Lisa asked.

"_Excuse me? You two in the back? Your attention please._" the teacher called from the front.

Dean looked at Lisa. "_Later?"_ he mouthed.

"_Later._"

She quickly scribbled something down on her paper and passed it over to him. Dean was a bit shocked to receive the phone number but took it anyways. _Never look a gift horse in the mouth._

"Alright, we're going to do a quick lab today so everyone find a partner."

Dean looked over to the former girl next door turned next desk over and raised an eyebrow.

* * *

Dean was almost sad when class ended and he parted ways with Lisa. Maybe this was fate's way of making things right for the hunter fiasco. Get zapped and nearly die and the next day your childhood best friend (and possibly crush but deniability was key here) is in one of your classes. _Almost a fair trade_.

Dean smiled to himself on his way to the one class he seemed to excel in more than anything else: History. He loved the way Mr. Stevens taught about the battles and strategies and codes from WW2. And it didn't hurt that Dean was a little more military minded when it came to battle plans than most of the class.

He walked through the door and waved hello to the teacher before taking his seat and turning to put his feet up on the desk next to him that was always empty.

**It was no longer empty**.

Fight or flight is an interesting sensation and not one that Dean or Jo wanted to encounter for at least another 2 weeks. They both blinked and knew they had been recognized.

Dean made the first move by slowly easing back into his chair and facing the front but watching the hunter girl from before out of his peripheral vision. She slowly did the same.

Maybe history wasn't the best class after all. Dean was starting to miss Chemistry.

The bell rang for lunch and the students got to their feet and grabbed backpacks from off of the floor. Dean stayed still in his seat as Jo packed up next to him. The girl was watching him carefully and he noticed.

The boy beside her was facing determinedly forward, tapping his pencil rhythmically and seemingly waiting for her to leave first. She raised an eyebrow and slowly made her way out but stay by the door and waited.

The boy came out almost a minute later and quickly joined into the current of school traffic to disappear. Jo only saw him for a second when he walked past before the crowd surged past.

_Oh, he's good_. she thought to herself before smirking and heading off to find her sister.


	6. Chapter 6

Dean wasted no time in losing the girl in the crowds. There was a good chance that if she found him again, there would be trouble and he'd had enough trouble for the next few weeks. He went to the office and asked to switch to a different class period for history.

"Well, I could put you in the 4th period class and switch over with your 5th. Are you sure about this?" the woman at the counselor's desk asked.

Dean hesitated… It was _Lisa_ for crying out loud. He couldn't transfer out of a class with her. And being in class with the hunter girl wasn't _entirely_ unbearable. Maybe if they made a truce during school hours it could work out.

"Do you want more time to think about it?" the counselor asked and Dean nodded. If he could strike a deal with blondie, maybe things could work out… just not right now.

The bell rang and he went on to the last classes weighing his options.

* * *

The full moon was in just 3 days. Energy was racing through both of the Betas. Bobby had contact with another pack years before about the best methods of control when he was first bitten and tried to teach the boys Satomi's recommendation of meditation for a long time.

"You need to stay calm. Focus on that pent up craziness and let it go _slowly_." He instructed while walking between the two of them as they sat on the floor.

"This is _dumb_." Dean complained.

"You're gonna have to deal with it." Bobby retorted.

Sam was fidgeting too much. It's uncommon to show signs of werewolfism at such a young age but Sam was already taller than most kids his age and had increased speed and strength since he was 8. Still, he would be a rollercoaster to train.

Bobby worried about Dean more since he was already 17 and still struggling to find an anchor.

"You need to get a hold on this, boy." Bobby warned and Dean snarled. "For crying out loud would it kill ya to _try_ to breathe slower?"

"Quite possibly."

Bobby lightly swatted the back of Dean's head. "You know what to do: Think about the words."

Dean shrugged and tried to clear his mind by repeating the chant.

_Alpha. Beta. Omega... Alpha. Beta. Omega._

It was dark and raining outside. _Alpha. Beta. Omega._ The creature had come in without a sound. _A-...Alpha...Beta….O-Omega…._ There was a woman screaming and a man. Dean knew them both. _Forget it. Alpha. Beta….Omega…_ He felt pain in his arm from the slash of the claws. He had tried to block the path between the monster and his baby brother but was thrown aside. _A-a-Alph-pha….B-b-Beta-a…._ His mother had picked them up and hidden them both in the coat closet while his father distracted the beast. ...O-_Omega..._The gunshots that made the monster fall. The hunter who sauntered into the room. _O-o-…_ "Were either of you bitten?" asked the gruff voice. Both nodded before two more gunshots rang out. Sammy had started crying from the noise but Dean tried to keep him quiet before the hunter left. The 4 year old made a note of the scar on the man's arm. It was dark and cold and raining outside… _A-a-Alpha…_

"Dean! _Dean!_ Snap out of it, boy!"

Dean's eyes shot open and Bobby was holding him by the shoulders. He relaxed and got rid of the claws he hadn't been aware of before and Bobby hugged him.

"You're alright now, okay?" The Alpha assured him. Dean nodded and noticed Sam watching with worry.

Bobby sighed. "Meditation's not gonna get far with you two idjits if ya don't have the patience for it yet. In the meantime, go out for a run. Get your energy out."

The boys didn't need to be told twice. As soon as they were past the front door they were sprinting through the trees, avoiding the places where the traps had been before and moving as fast as they could to wear themselves out.

* * *

Eventually they broke off. Bobby always told them to find a quiet place and maybe try to meditate again although it didn't often work.

Sam was wary of everything even though he could see better than anyone else out in the woods. He agreed to meet back at the house in 30 minutes so for now he was meant to calm down.

He walked and alternately ran sometimes when he smelled something. He grinned slightly at the chance to practice his newer abilities. He followed the scent and after a few seconds noticed what it was. He didn't want to go any farther. He knew that smell.

Sam followed anyways. The more they knew about the situation, the more they could tell if there was trouble. He climbed over the crest of one of the hills that were scattered throughout the area until he saw it and wanted to throw up.

The tent was shredded and the smell of death was almost overwhelming. Sam covered his mouth and nose to breathe easier and turned to leave. He needed to go home now. He needed to tell Bobby that there was another pack nearby. He _really_ needed to forget what he just saw but not until he told the others.

He sprinted back to the house right at the 20 minute mark.


	7. Chapter 7

Dean had tried meditation. He really had. But it just _never_ worked. This was more relaxing for him even though he knew he'd have to find a better alternative someday. Just running through the woods was the thing for him.

Why? No clue but it did the trick and it stopped him from thinking about...things he'd rather forget…

He paused to look up at the moon. It was beautiful tonight, pumping him full of some kind of foreign adrenaline that only that silvery glow can give. He could almost imagine breathing it in on nights like this. He closed his eyes and took a breath.

Something snapped to his right. He immediately turned and scanned in that direction. He waited before moving slowly towards it before hearing laughter and the mention of s'mores. _Just campers _he thought to himself and turned to keep running.

He stopped at a massive tree stump that always gave off a vibe no one could explain. He examined it with curiosity and even sniffed if it had a scent but no dice.

He heard a click behind him and turned slowly. _How many campers are in these woods tonight?_ he wondered before freezing.

_That's a gun_ his brain offered helpfully. _Thank you Captain Obvious_ he thought back. The girl from history class stepped toward him slowly, holding the rifle up and aimed at him.

"This is _so_ not my week, is it?" Dean complained. His eyes darted around looking for the best escape route but all he really needed was a distraction. He walked backwards slowly, matching each of her steps forward.

"We should really stop meeting like this." the girl threw back.

"I agree. I think it would be best if we go our separate ways." Dean offered with a slight grin. "I mean come on. _I'm_ a werewolf, _you're_ a hunter. It just isn't meant to be."

His eyes widened suddenly in shock.

"D-d-do y-you s-_see that?!_" he stuttered, looking terrified and pointing directly behind Jo.

Jo turned on instinct for only a second since she already suspected it but rather than find the werewolf charging forward to attack when she looked back, she saw a blur running off to the right.

She started after him, cursing at herself. _Did I seriously just fall for that?! Ugh._ She smiled slightly to herself. He might have a distance advantage but he was running in a straight line. _Maybe he's not as good as I thought._ She stopped running and aimed the rifle. Easy shot.

Until he swerved as though he sensed it and picked up his pace. Jo rolled her eyes and followed after. Maybe he'd lead her to the pack's location.

* * *

The tripwire caught him totally off-guard. He slid on the ground from his momentum and felt the scrapes he just earned sting before starting the heal. He gritted his teeth and muffled the hiss of trying not to shout from the pain.

_Wow._ Lisa thought. _That? That right there was a little sad._ She swiped a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear and walked up to the guy who had just fallen flat on his face into the pile of leaves. She saw a bad scratch on his arm and felt a twinge of sympathy before the injury started to fix itself before her eyes. He moved his arms and she saw a green symbol on his arm. She recognized it. _Triskelion._ She placed the barrel of the gun against the back of his neck before he could move another inch.

He froze instantly. He must've heard the click of the bullet sliding into place because he rolled suddenly to the side, swiping Lisa's feet out from under her and they both scrambled to their feet.

"Oh no." he muttered.

They both gawked at each other.

"You?" she asked quietly. "You're the other Beta?"

_Sam was the little one_ her mind clicked.

Dean stared at the gun in her hands and then back at her, backing up slowly and trying not to panic. Lisa clenched her teeth and set the scope on the rifle and small laser point appeared on the werewolf's chest. he looked down and saw the opportunity for a perfectly lined up kill-shot and backed up faster.

He was stopped suddenly and felt the prickle of tree bark against his back and gulped, staring at the girl he thought he remembered so well.

Lisa had killed these creatures before. Almost always in self defense but she had pulled the trigger. Her finger rested on the trigger now but something was keeping her from following through with it now.

Dean stared at her until she met his eyes.

"You're not really going to kill me, are you?" he asked quietly.

Lisa considered the options. If she let him go, he could very easily attack her. Maybe it would be tonight, maybe next week but it could happen. Worse still, it could happen to her family.

But then again...it was _Dean._

"What are you waiting for?" Jo asked, panting from running so far. "Leese?"

The blonde girl looked at the perfect aim already set and then looked up at the boy's face and she felt a twinge of guilt.

He was scared but trying not to show it. He had the look in his eyes though, her mom had always told Jo that a person can change anything about their face but the eyes will always show their heart. _Mom…_ she threw the guilt away and aimed a rifle of her own.

"Leese. If you can't, I will." she said gravely.

They waited in a stalemate of sorts until a deep voice was heard calling for the girls. Jo turned to the side to look for her mentor. John would be there in a minute or two. He could make the call. If he came, they could take the boy back to the house again.

She turned back and was surprised to see that the boy had gone entirely pale and giving a pleading look to Lisa.

"Let me go. Please." he asked. "I never did anything."

"No way." Jo answered and looked to her sister.

"Lisa, please. Shoot me now or let me go just -" he shuddered. "Don't let him catch me again."

Lisa's eyes narrowed. _Why is he more scared of John than us?_ _he's not even that scared of Jo… and it's __**Jo.**_ but she could see how terrified he was. She pondered it a moment and Dean could hear the snapping of twigs as the older hunter approached before Lisa finally nodded.

"Go. Now. Just this once." she ordered.

Dean nodded in appreciation and sprinted away from the voice while Jo looked appalled. Lisa shouldered the rifle and stared her sister in the eyes as though daring her to question the call she'd just made. Jo gaped but closed her mouth when John stepped into the clearing.

"You girls alright? Did you find anything?" he asked with his usual gruffness.

"No, sir." Lisa replied.

She studied the older man and wondered about what he could've done - besides the obvious - that could've scared her old friend so much.


	8. Chapter 8

Dean was panicking too much. He'd lost control almost entirely. He needed to get away from everyone and everything and so he ran. He ran as far away from the group of hunters as he could before trying to calm down. His eyes were glowing against his will and he could feel claws starting appear. Control it. breathe….He had the scar! I saw it! I...can't- his brain registered before he snapped and began shredding the bark off of the tree in front of him.

* * *

Jo sat in her desk and propped her feet on the empty chair to her left. She checked out the windows every once in a while but doubted he would show up. He'd be an idiot to come to school today.

She had packed a few hunting items anyways as a precaution but most of the class period passed without incident...until she noticed that a cop car had pulled up.

There was a light knock on the door of the classroom where two officers and a very grumpy looking teenager were standing in the hall.

"We caught him trying to ditch." one officer explained.

"No I wasn't. I'm sick." Dean protested.

"With what?" the other officer asked.

Dean's lack of immediate response was all they needed to consider proof.

"That's what I thought." the first officer nodded. "It never helps your case to be a liar."

Mr. Stevens looked at Dean with a hint of disappointment and the boy felt guilt settle in his stomach. He did have an excellent reason for trying to avoid class but he doubted his teacher would accept the excuse of "_The girl who sits next to me is trying to kill me because I'm a werewolf and she comes from a long line of hunters of the supernatural and also she tried to put a bullet in me last night_".

He walked down the row and sat down at his desk, casually pushing his chair as far to the left as he could make it and avoiding any and all eye contact with the girl next to him. She had tried to freaking shoot him last night! In cold blood no less. Also he noticed she was watching him, waiting for a reason to strike.

The nerve wracking tension made his pulse rise and he could feel claws starting to appear. He clenched his fists, trying to hide them and make them go away. _Pain keeps you human_ he thought to himself as he winced slightly.

* * *

Mr. Stevens' lecture continued on about the Civil War and how they had to change strategies for fighting battles due to the new weapons being developed. Jo kept an eye on the target the whole time while multi-tasking by taking notes. She noticed him glance at the clock a few times, probably waiting for the bell to ring which it would in about 10 minutes.

She glanced back at him, getting the distinct feeling he was formulating a plan much like the ones Mr. Stevens was talking about. His hands were clenched and Jo slowly grabbed the handle of her knife just in case. It reassured her to have a weapon in hand...even if she wasn't really supposed to have one.

She glanced back at Dean, watchful, only to find Dean staring wide-eyed at the knife handle, recognizing what it was.

His hand shot up into the air.

The teacher looked puzzled. "Yes, Dean?"

"Sir, can I be excused to the restroom please?"

Mr. Stevens nodded and Dean moved quickly out of the class. As he passed by the teacher he couldn't help it.

"_I had a good reason, I swear_." he whispered apologetically before leaving the room and a slightly confused but somewhat placated teacher. Dean was one of his best students and it was obvious he enjoyed the class so Mr. Stevens believed him.

Jo raised her hand as well. "My I use the restroom too, sir?" she asked.

The teacher raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait until your classmate has returned or until lunch, Joanne."

Jo scowled as the teacher turned back to the board. She pulled out her cell phone and texted Lisa.


	9. Chapter 9

He was shifting. Tomorrow night was the full moon and Dean could feel it. He needed to get somewhere out of people's way _fast._ He found the door to the basement and maintenance area and twisted the handle with so much strength that it didn't matter that it had been locked a second before. He bolted inside and ran down the stairs.

He found a fairly empty section and stood leaning against the wall. His breathing was heavy and his eyes would flicker every now and then. _I can't lose control. Not here. People could get hurt._ But the anger built up in him. He slammed his fist into the wall and cracked it slightly. "_Stop."_ he ordered himself. He felt fangs and claws starting to make their appearance and his eyes were glowing from the shift. He growled from the effort of trying to stay in control.

He fought against it, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor, his claws grating against the concrete as he moved. "_Control it." _ he told himself again. His hearing amplified itself. He heard cell phones, talking, doors opening and people walking down stairs, all of it crashing into his head. "_**Control it.**_" he repeated. He closed his eyes to focus.

"_Al-ph-pha… B-beta… O-Omega…"_ he felt his willpower wavering but he knew what would happen it he let go and Bobby wasn't here to keep him in check. "Calm down. Control it." he said between deep breaths. "Find an anchor."

Another wave of anger hit him and he hit his head back against the wall. _Pain keeps you human._ "F-fear has no c-control." told himself. "Don't let it control you." He exhaled. "Alpha. Beta. Omega….Alpha. Beta. Omega." he felt himself relaxing for what felt like the first time in ages.

He shifted back to normal and focused on breathing. Then he heard a shoe scuff of to the side. His eyes shot open and he jumped to his feet to look at a familiar dark-haired girl.

* * *

Lisa hadn't known what she how she would find someone who knew how to hide so well but she had passed a crinkled door handle on her way down the hall and went in. She heard growling and a scratching sound that led her to a nearly empty hallway under the school with it's sole occupant trying to calm down. He kept muttering to himself, trying to stay in control and Lisa cocked her head to the side. He was repeating some kind of chant like one used in meditation. This was the most un-werewolf like behavior she had ever seen.

He was struggling with it though, so she didn't dare move any closer. He was a werewolf: A monster that didn't care what it killed when it was enraged. The kind of rage that had taken the closest people Lisa had from her. She hadn't brought her gun with her but she pulled out a silver knife just in case. He seemed to snap all of a sudden and his breathing slowed. That peaked the girl's interest all the more. _What made him change?_ she wondered.

Then, of course, she was spotted. It was only a matter of time since she wasn't exactly hiding and she gripped the knife in her right hand tightly and grabbed a frequency player in her left.

Dean looked at her and growled for a moment before backing up slowly and regarding her with suspicion.

"Why don't you hunters just _leave me alone_?" he asked, glaring at her.

"We hunt monsters. It's our job." she replied, barely masking the implied accusation.

"Why am I a monster to you?"

"You're a killer."

"No, you're wrong." he defended.

"You liar." she hissed.

"It's the _truth_." Dean insisted. "My pack has never hurt _anyone_. And unless you count the occasional deer or rabbit, we don't kill any_thing_ either."

Lisa stepped forward and Dean looked behind him where the end of the hallway did not branch off like he'd expected. It ended in a solid wall. _Oh no, not again._ The realization made his eyes flash from the panic but he stopped it.

"Werewolves that don't kill? Don't make me laugh." she moved the the center of the hallway, blocking the exit. She pressed her finger over the button on the frequency blaster. "_Tell that to the monster that killed my mom._"

The pitch echoed in the hallway, Dean covered his ears and cringed. "Stop that!" he shouted, and felt fangs begin to make their appearance. He backed away more but the girl followed.

"The reason we moved in the first place was because of accident that killed my dad and then a _werewolf like you killed my mother._" she shouted.

She turned the dial and the pitch grew louder. Dean doubled over and fell to his knees. He was seconds away from shifting and he wouldn't be able to control it if he did.

"Please! Stop now! You don't know what you're doing!" he yelled.

"You think you're going to shift? Not on my watch." Lisa turned the frequency up higher.

The werewolf fell to the floor and the fangs and claws seemed to melt away. It made sense: there was only the pain from the sound echoing around him and pain makes you human.

"I'm an orphan because of things like you!" Lisa shouted.

"SO AM I!" the boy roared.

The frequency dropped down to silence. Dean closed his eyes. He felt sick but he could breathe again without feeling like he was being crushed by the sound. When he felt a little better he saw that Lisa stood over him, squinting.

"Explain."

The werewolf sat up slowly, afraid of setting off the hunter again...or rather, that awful sound. "**Hunters**." he growled and his eyes flashed before he pulled his knees closer to him and returned to normal. He slowed his breathing more. "A werewolf attacked my family. It got into our house somehow. We were all changed in some way. My parents got the bite but Sam and I got scratched. And yeah, I guess you already know about Sam… but a hunter came. He shot the monster. We thought we were saved but we couldn't have been more wrong.

Sam and I were hidden before the hunter came and when the man found out that it was too late for my parents he-..." Dean choked on the words before taking another deep breath. "He did what all hunters apparently do." the boy glared at the knife in Lisa's hand and she slowly put it away and sat down leaning against the wall across from him. No doubt looking for tells if he was lying just to manipulate her but he wasn't.

"We were on our own. I didn't trust Sammy with anyone after the person I thought was going to help us-..." he paused. "Well, let's just say I hit the road with my little brother for two weeks until the Alpha found us and started teaching us."

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "He must've done a lousy job."

Dean glared at her. "He did more for me than any _hunter_. And believe me," he stared the ground. "It was..._I_ was worse before. It's not his fault."

"What wasn't?" she asked.

The boy suddenly became defensive. "Why do you care? Weren't you about to shoot me a minute ago or something? Why aren't you attacking?"

Lisa frowned for a moment. "I didn't feel like it."

Dean slowly eased himself to his feet and Lisa did the same, both watching each other. They stayed there for a moment, both becoming slightly nervous.

"...Well, what about now?" the boy asked quietly.

The girl shrugged. "Maybe."

The school bell rang and Lisa turned to walk back down the hallway, taking the risk that she wasn't going to be attacked as soon as she turned away. "But for now, I have class."


	10. Chapter 10

Jo waited in the car for her sister at the end of school. Lisa opened the door and plopped down next to her in the passenger seat.

"Well?" Jo waited expectantly.

Lisa shrugged. "He got away, I couldn't find him."

Jo glared at her. "You let him get away again didn't you."

"_What?_ No…"

Jo punched her on the arm...not too hard but enough to show she meant business. "You've got a history with that boy and I want to know what. You can't keep doing this, Leese."

Lisa pondered it for a moment before glancing to her sister on her left. "I'll tell you when we get home, alright?"

Jo raised an eyebrow and pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

The sun was getting lower in the sky when Sam left the house. Bobby had told him to avoid the spot where the attacks had been so the hunters couldn't actually pin them to the crime. The Alpha hoped that eventually the _real_ culprits would mess up or leave a clue but Sam wasn't so sure.

He gave the impression he was just going for a run before starting off in the direction he'd gone the night before.

When he arrived he had to stop a ways away because police were crawling all over the scene and bordering it off. One of them spotted him and approached.

"Kid, you shouldn't be around a place like this right now but I guess I have to ask: Do you have any idea what happened here?"

Sam shook his head, feigning innocence which he was fortunately very good at.

"Was it an animal attack?" he asked, cracking his voice as he looked at the mess of carnage. The smell was worse now, he preferred to think it just smelled like copper but knew he was just fooling himself. Blood has a very distinct scent, especially with higher sense levels.

Sam knew he wasn't going to be able to investigate much with cops looking at everything so he turned and began to walk away.

_So much for that_ he thought, on the verge of cursing the efficiency of the police force before realizing how ridiculous that would be. He began to run home through the trees, taking care to not slip on the leaves that coated the ground

He stepped and heard the snap before he could register what happened.

* * *

The phone was ringing, which was odd enough in the house of the reclusive Alpha. He walked over and picked up the phone.

"Robert Singer speaking." he said.

"_Bobby?_"

"Sam? Where are you, boy?"

"_I'm-"_ his voice broke slightly and Bobby began to worry.

"Sam. Sam, are you alright?"

"_I've been hurt. The hunters...they put out bear traps or_ _something_."

"Are you alright now?" the older man asked, feeling a twinge of panic.

"_Yeah, I got out alright. It's starting to heal, too._"

Bobby put a hand to his forehead, regretting what he was about to say. "Well, you know the rules, Sam. I'm sorry but you'll have to stick it out in one of the bunkers until tomorrow. The hunters have been more jumpy of late if you hadn't noticed. Hide out and they'll lose your trail."

Bobby couldn't see it but he had the feeling Sam was nodding resolutely.

"_Alright._"

The Alpha paused for a moment. "What were you doing over there anyways?"

The voice on the other end was suspiciously quiet.

"Aw, c'mon, Sam. The _one_ thing I told ya to stay away from."

"_Sorry. I thought I might find something useful_."

"Idjit."

"_Yeah…_" Sam relented. "_I'll tell you what I found tomorrow...'night I guess._"

"'Night, Sam. Stay safe."

Bobby hung up the phone and Dean leaned on the kitchen counter next to him.

"Who was that? One of those pesky telemarketers?" he joked.

"Nah, it's Sam. He got hurt so he's staying in the bunker tonight."

Dean blinked. "He's _hurt?_ What happened?"

"Bear trap, he says, but he's doing alright now." Bobby looked at the teenager with scrutiny, noticing the fidgeting and restlessness that had started to appear along with the elevated heart rate.

"Don't you even think about it." he said with deadly seriousness.

Dean sighed and raised an eyebrow, making the most innocent face he could.

"Dean, Sam will be fine."

"And if the hunters find him?" the boy argued.

"They'll leave him be. They have a code. They leave the youngins alone."

"You mean like they left me alone?" Dean replied. The words seemed to echo through the room, carrying a heavy weight. Dean slowly turned and moved toward the door and Bobby sighed.

"Dean', don't-" The Alpha began but stopped when he saw the older brother's expression. "...Alright fine. But stay safe. I'd better see you _both_ in the morning in one piece, got it?" he warned and the Beta nodded.

Dean turned and pulled the door open before feeling himself being pulled into a hug.

"I mean it, boy. You watch out for yourself." Bobby said before pulling back and putting his hands on Dean's shoulders. "And the full moon's coming so try not to wreck the place. It took a weekend to build but don't think that means you can scratch it up." he tried to smile.

Dean nodded and walked out of the house. Bobby watched him and felt a pang of worry. He'd taken the boys in from a young age. At the time, he'd done it out of some kind of grudging responsibility and guilt but he'd come to care for the boys. _His_ boys.

"Stay safe." he asked quietly again before closing the door.


	11. Chapter 11

Dean did a scan around the area 3 times before approaching the old car. In all truth, he was little proud that he'd help construct the hideout. He'd based it off of a disguise that he'd learned about in History when people were trying to escape from East Berlin.

They would get older cars with very little space between the car and the ground below it and then cut out a hole in the bottom and start tunneling. The bunker, however, was more luxurious than just a hole in the ground. It had 3 rooms stretching off down separate tunnels with small breaks in the ceiling where glass let a small amount of light in, although it was stained brown to be disguised to those walking up above it and bulletproof among other things.

There was one emergency "fox hole" that led out back to the surface but the end of that was half a mile long before breaking through the ground, disguised as a dead tree stump much like the massive one in the clearing across the woods.

The car itself was rusted over and half buried in order to avoid people trying to look at it or take it and notice it was cemented down. _That might cause a few questions…_ Dean chuckled to himself before pulling the car door open and climbing inside, sealing the exit behind him.

He waited for a sound before recognizing a scent nearby just down the rabbit hole.

"Sammy, it's me. You alright?" he called and there was movement at the end.

"Yeah. You didn't happen to bring dinner or anything, did you?" he asked as Dean jumped down into the tunnel and began walking toward the voice.

He smiled when he saw his brother sitting back on one of the small twin sized beds that he and Bobby had managed to move down there. Dean held up the box in his hand.

"Half pepperoni and sausage goodness and the other half is your weird veggie stuff." he shrugged. "I bought it on the way."

Dean's smile dropped when he saw the bandage that was wrapped around his brother's foot. He sighed and sat down, grabbing the first aid kit as he did so.

"One of these days I need to teach you how to actually _use_ an ace bandage, Sammy." he grumbled and began carefully unravelling the poorly tied-off bandage.

Sam winced while his brother patched him up. He hated being babied but at the moment there wasn't much he could do if his brother didn't help. Dean was a little better at fixing people up which made Sam wonder for the first time how much his older brother must've worried about people getting hurt. _How long has he been teaching himself to take care of everyone else?_ he thought.

Dean sat back when he was finished and Sam felt a bit better and even guessed he could put weight on his foot now but didn't try it.

"Well?" he asked suddenly.

"Well, what?" Dean replied.

"I'm patched up, aren't you going to go? You shouldn't be here, Dean. It's not safe."

"You're more important. And someone's got to save your sorry behind. You left a trail outside you know, I cleaned it up."

He leaned back and put his hands behind his head and Sam scoffed.

"I mean it, Dean. Those hunters would love to get you back and I don't want them to get you because they came after me. They'll leave me alone. Bobby said so."

Dean looked at his little brother and sighed. "Bobby can be wrong sometimes, Sammy. I'm not taking that risk." He glanced around the room.

"Think of it as a camp out kind of thing, only classier." He grinned. Sam just looked at him with a hint of worry.

"I'm _staying_, Sammy. It'll be fine." Dean defended, sitting up and leaning against the wall. "Try to get some sleep. You're going to need it on a night like tonight."

Sam rolled his eyes and then turned to fall asleep. Dean stayed watching the "doorway" of sorts to make sure nothing happened. He kept it up for a few hours before nodding slowly off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey, so I'd appreciate if you put a review somewhere along here if you've read this far. I don't know if anyone reading this at all but if you are I'd be much obliged and a bit more dedicated to getting these up on time but for right now, I'm kinda just writing for myself.**

**Thanks! ~Edwin Nigma**

* * *

"_Dean." _The voice hissed in the dark. "_Dean, wake up!"_ it said urgently and the older brother's eyes flicked open.

He groaned slightly and rubbed his eyes. "_What's wrong?_"He asked before pausing.

_**Oh crap.**_

He could hear them as soon as he focused on the snapping of twigs. It was, fortunately, faint. He guess it must be a quarter of a mile away or more by his hearing range.

"_It's __**them**__, isn't it?"_ Sammy asked and Dean just closed his eyes and sighed. _Like it would be anyone else on a week like this one._

"_It's okay. We'll be fine." _Dean rolled his eyes before seeing his brother's expression. He was scared but trying not to make it obvious. _Why would-?_ Dean started before thinking back to the last time Sam had interacted with these hunters. Sam had helped carry Dean back home after that. He must've been freaked since Dean had always made an effort to make it look like he'd had everything under control so seeing how miserably his older brother had failed at that… Sam was probably terrified of that happening to him.

Dean reached for his brother and pulled him close.

"_It's going to be okay._" he said quietly. "_I'm not going to let them hurt you._"

Sam hugged his brother and buried his face in his shoulder.

Dean was only half right in his thinking. Sam wasn't worried about getting hurt, he was more terrified of losing his brother.

"_Don't be scared, Sammy. You'll be alright."_ Dean whispered.

_What about you?_ Sam thought to himself.

* * *

Jo kicked some leaves off to the side and scanned the area.

"They've been through here. They covered their tracks but… well, they're good but we're better." she said with a grin.

"_They?_ You said one before." Lisa interrupted.

The blonde girl just shrugged. "Another set of tracks showed up. Bigger than the others, probably called in for backup… Hey John, why would one of them be hurt?"

She turned and looked at her mentor. Gruff man's face gave no emotion.

"Could be from anything. There might have been a fight within the pack. These monsters can turn on each other in an instant if they see an opportunity for personal gain. Every Beta is just twitching to become the new leader, you know." he explained.

Lisa's eyebrows knit together but she said nothing. _What a terrible way to live_ she thought. _How does he handle it all? What if he's-_ she stopped herself. She didn't care about him. Not at all. Not even the tiniest bit. Nope.

"Where did they go next?" John asked.

Jo nodded sharply and turned around to examine the scene around her. She saw the scuffs made from whoever came to clean up the trail. It was a hurried job, like they wanted to be done with it son and move on. That made it easier and much harder to follow.

They ended up in a clearing with nothing but a few tree stumps and a rusty car tipped on it's side and probably looted and graffitied over by teens from the last few generations.

The hunters spaced out to look for a sign. Lisa looked at the car with a slightly dreamy kind of look on her face. When they were growing up, Dean would stand up on the drivers seat of his dad's car and pretend he was coasting along the highway. Lisa would take shotgun and they'd "run away together" without ever leaving the driveway. She flushed at the memory of someone she didn't care about in the slightest and looked down at a different kind of shotgun she had loaded with silver bullets in her hands. That was the past, this was now. People change and he had changed for the worst.

She climbed on top of the old rusty car and pulled open the door, it seemed oddly sturdy for an old junkyard reject tipped on it's side. Something about the bottom of the wreck caught her eye. It looked like there was a piece welded funny. Maybe it was trick of the light or just a break. She stepped down inside and moved it. It came loose, revealing a pit only a few feet deep but the side of it kept going past what the flashlight could cover

"Hey, did you find something?" Lisa called, walking over a little bit.

The brunette girl shrugged. "There's something like a hole down here. It might be just some kids' secret clubhouse or something. I'll shout if I find anything."

_Down the rabbit-hole I go_ she joked in her mind. The drop was about 4 feet and she landed surprisingly quietly but in the silence it felt like it echoed.

She switched on her flashlight and felt her jaw drop. It was far more elaborate than she'd anticipated. The tunnel stretched out in front of her, high enough for even someone John's size to walk comfortably down.

Lisa looked back up at the hole she'd just jumped through and saw the flashlight beam from Jo skimming the top.

"You okay?" her sister asked.

"Fine. Wait there." Lisa said. She considered calling for backup but there was no real reason to _assume_ there was danger here...and a piece of her told her to wait until she knew more. She was already a little irked by John's speech on turning on their own kind. Something was off about him that she hadn't found out about yet. Something in the way Dean had paled when he heard John coming.

She pressed forward down the tunnel. Her footsteps were silent from years of practice and the soft dirt floor helped muffle any mistakes.

* * *

"_Dean?_" the voice squeaked. "_I hear footsteps._"

The older brother strained his ears only for a moment. _His hearing's getting really good_ a piece of Dean's mind mused. The other piece became fiercely protective.

He glanced back at the doorway behind him, glaring into the darkness as though daring for someone to step out. If they did...oh boy would they regret it. He would-

"_Dean?_" the voice breathed and the green eyes turned away from the door to look at his charge. Sam looked so worried. No kid should ever have to be that worried at his age especially. Dean bit his lower lip and pulled his brother to his shoulder.

"_It's gonna be fine, Sammy. Everything's gonna be okay."_ he whispered silently. "_I promise. No one's going to hurt you. You're gonna be just fine. You'll be-"_

He'd been clumsy. He'd messed up. That and those hunters were scary good. He hadn't even heard them come in. The only way he knew they were there was from the circular piece of metal that now rested against his back.


	13. Chapter 13

"_-Fine." _His voice hitched a little and maybe his brother didn't notice. But Sam's grip around his brother's middle tightened and he started shaking slightly. Dean ruffled his brother's hair with one hand.

"_It'll be okay, Sam. You're s-safe."_ oh no, now he was stuttering. _**Pull yourself together!**_ His mind screamed. "_Sammy, …"_ he didn't know where he was going with this anymore. "_Sammy, I love you, alright? Don't forget that. No matter what happens. Always remember that okay?"_ he felt his eyes watering. He blinked it away. That wouldn't help.

One thing might though. He straightened his back and looked dead ahead at the wall in front of him.

"You wouldn't make a liar out of me, would you?" He said, not bothering to whisper anymore.

He knew it was a long shot but it seemed to work for a second or two. Then the bullet clicked into place. Dean's hope dropped.

"Not in front of the kid, please." his head dropped and he looked down at the mop of hair that was holding on even tighter if that were possible. Dean swallowed and tried to strike a deal.

"I-If you want me I'll come. I won't put up a fight. Just...don't hurt the kid, please. He's all I got."

Sam whimpered slightly and it sounded like "No." but it was hard to tell.

"I don't have a choice." the girl said and Dean didn't know whether to be glad or heartbroken by the fact that it was Lisa.

"Everyone has choices. Not everyone makes the _right_ choices."

"You're saying the right choice is for me to let you go again?"

Dean took a breath to think. It was true, he was pushing his luck again.

"The choice is yours to make, not mine. But whether or not I come out of this… keep your code long enough for him to get away. He's just a kid and I know deep down you might just have a trace of a heart left." He bit back his words. He shouldn't have said that. That might make her mad. "I'll come with you if that's what you want but please-"

The gun barrel pressed harder against his back. He winced instinctively. Sam pulled away without warning and looked up at the girl with the gun.

"_No._" he said quietly. He looked up at her with sad eyes.

Lisa felt her resolve crumble when she looked at the boy. Then shook her head out of it and stared at the back of Dean's head.

"...How old is he?" She demanded.

"He just turned 13." The older brother answered and he could help himself from continuing. "We're leaving the school. It's not safe anymore. We'll vanish until things calm down. We'll try to stay quiet and out of sight, I swear."

The silence felt deafening. Dean tried not to hyperventilate, bracing himself for the bullet that was certain to take him any second.

"_Please don't hurt him. He's my big brother." _Sam mumbled.

An eternity seemed to pass. The gun barrel was pulled back.

"I'll tell them you were here but you left. If you've got a back way out of here, use it when it's safe and then go. I don't want to see you guys again." Lisa ordered. The words tasted bitter in her mouth but it would be much better if she didn't have to run into them again. She could follow orders easier when she wasn't questioning her every move.

"Th-Thank you. Thank you so much." Dean managed and Sam nodded.

The girl turned and walked back down the tunnel. Jo would want an explanation for why she took so long and so she'd have to make one up.

* * *

Lisa pulled herself from the rusted wreckage and Jo sighed and let her shoulders and rifle drop.

"Gosh, Leese, you had me worried there. Any sign?" she asked.

"Gone. They were here but they must have a fox hole out of there. They were long gone. when I got there." Lisa muttered. "We might as well go home tonight. We won't find them again."

Jo's eyes narrowed. Something's off. Her lie detector was blaring but she didn't want to call her out in front of John.

"I thought I heard something down there. Like talking…" she said casually. She looked at Lisa. _Care to tell the truth?_ Lisa pouted. _Not quite yet, sis._ Jo rolled her eyes. _You can't keep secrets forever…_

"I was humming to myself." Lisa replied with a hint of finality in her voice. _Later_. she said with a pointed look at her sister.

John was only a few feet away, checking his phone.

"Alright then. We'll go home for now. You girls have school in the morning." he said, turning and walking forward. They'd come nearly in a full circle chasing this trail. Jo shouldered the rifle and followed and Lisa came up beside her.

Lisa leaned on her shoulder and yawned dramatically, making Jo chuckle.

"You're such a dork, Leese." she complained half-heartedly.

"I learned from the finest. Don't think I don't hear you singing in your room to every 80's song ever." Lisa warned.

Jo shoved Lisa off her shoulder playfully and Lisa kept walking on but Jo froze when something reflected off the ground. She walked toward it slowly, it was silvery from the moonlight but brownish in the flashlight beam.

She crouched on the ground and brushed some of the foliage away from it. Glass, naturally, that wasn't unexpected, but it was flat like a window but still colored like a bottle. Weird. She set her flashlight aside and looked down closer. It was window. She peered through it and felt a weight in her stomach.

They were there. They were right there. _Oh my gosh! Lisa! What are you thinking!_ She turned sharply to shout for John but Lisa was there to stare her down.

"_Leese!"_ Jo hissed. "_They're right here why did you let them go?"_

Lisa came over hesitantly, glancing back to make sure John was still walking along, and knelt next to her sister.

"_Look_ at them. Just look." she answered quietly. She put a hand on the back of Jo's head and turned her to get a closer view of the brothers down below.

Jo growled but studied the scene. Lisa got up and walked away after John to make sure he didn't get suspicious and notice they were both gone.

They were huddled together. The older one, Dean, was trying to comfort the little one, who was crying from what seemed to be relief. He was saying something the blonde girl couldn't quite distinguish but she had guesses.

She got up off the ground slowly before kicking a few leaves over the glass to hide it and sprinted back to the others. She sighed as she jogged up to them. Lisa turned and gave a questioning look.

_Did you see why?_ she asked.

Jo threw her a look that seemed to distinctly say _Why do you have to be such a bleeding heart?_

Lisa just smiled in response. She could get Jo on her side eventually...maybe… in the meantime she had silence which was almost as good.

* * *

**Not gonna lie, I really like writing sibling stuff. If you're an only child, this kind of weirdness really does happen all the time. I'm adding a little more in the coming chapters. Please Review! If only one word or phrase like "Good" or "I'm reading this." or "This does not suck." would be super.**


	14. Chapter 14

"Winchester?" Mrs. Brennan called from the front of the class.

"Still absent." another student called up.

The Chemistry teacher frowned at the clipboard as she took roll. "Second week in a row…" she mumbled and looked at the empty desk with a hint of worry. "Well, I hope he's alright wherever he is."

_Me too._ Lisa thought, glancing at the empty chair next to her. He'd been true to his word and dropped out of school. It seemed like they dropped off the edge of the earth...only trouble with that theory was that the attacks had worsened. Two more campers were killed every other night it seemed until the police and rangers closed off the wood and told people to stay out due to bear problems.

_If only it were that simple_. Lisa stared out the window and tried to understand how someone who was so good and _still _seemed so good, could be involved in such horrible deaths.

* * *

Ever since the pack seemed to vanish, the hunters would split up and do perimeter checks on different parts of the woods. There never appeared to be any sign of anyone in the woods so they began to go over the area piece by piece with a fine toothed comb... Or in this case, splitting up the area and checking a 200-300 square foot area for any sign of them.

Jo yawned as she entered a larger clearing, checking around for signs of the pack but knew she wouldn't find anything. She thought back to that night just a few weeks ago, when she'd convinced Lisa to fess up or she was going to tell John.

When Lisa finished explaining her star-crossed friendship with the Beta, Jo could hardly believe what she was hearing. _A crush? _Her sister had gone _out of her mind, disregarded all of their training, and let their target escape __**twice**__, _because that boy had batted those green eyes at her and she decided he was a good guy. _Lisa, this is a new low _she growled to herself and kicked a branch out of the way.

If he'd somehow saved her life when they were six it might make more sense to let him go the first time as a debt fulfillment or something but _really?_ _The things I deal with for that love struck, crazy, reckless, punk of a younger siste-_ a strange sound caught her attention.

It sounded like a small child crying, which was mildly terrifying to hear when you're alone in the woods at night. Jo followed it, pulling the gun from her shoulder to be ready if anything happened. Her eyes darted nervously as she approached the source of the noise, checking in the shadows for anything menacing, before taking a deep breath. _Relax. You're fine. It's probably nothing and you're just tired and overreacting _she told herself and felt a little better. Whatever is was, if it was a threat, it probably wouldn't expect its target to be armed and dangerous.

The thought made her smile a little. She strained her vision and saw something moving as though distressed.

"Hello?" She called. "Anyone there? Are you hurt?"

The shadowy figure became sharper and clearer and Jo blinked as she recognized it.

_A freaking deer. Of course._ But why hadn't it run? Why was it just crying out and staying stuck - a glint of silver. Jo moved toward it slowly, trying not the startle the creature any further but wanting to get a better look at the trap it was caught in.

_Were bear traps legal out here?_ Jo looked at it with distaste and then at the doe in front of her struggling and making its injury much worse by the movement. The blonde girl frowned even more. The Rangers had probably put up the traps to stop the animal attacks from getting worse. _Werewolves and hikers and bears, oh __**deer**__._ Jo mused.

Humor was her ally. Even slightly dark humor because she never had the stomach for this. She raised the gun and closed her eyes before making the clean shot to put the poor creature out of it's misery. It fell with a muffled thump onto the leaf strewn ground. Jo didn't want to look at it. It was a mercy killing, though. A _coup de grace_. Entirely justifiable, but still, the poor thing had to suffer because of the mess everyone else had made.

She looked down at the trap again and then her blood ran cold. The tips were clearly lined with silver. _These aren't bear traps._ she thought with dread. Someone was hunting the pack from the sidelines of this affair.

The Arians would never use something that could so easily get civilians or innocents hurt. That was just reckless and cruel from any perspective. She shook her head and stepped back. _Who would do this? Who else knows abo-_

**Click. Snap.**


	15. Chapter 15

Sam's improved hearing was starting to annoy him. He decided this when his eyes opened for apparently no reason but his ears twitched to hone in on the sound. He rolled over and tried to ignore it. _It's nothing important _he rationalized. _Just some camper somewhere shouting for help..._wait. Oh no.

He sat up and rushed to the window of the small, hidden house and pulled it open. Someone was out there. That someone sounded hurt and they were calling for help. The boy darted out of his room and paused in the hallway. Bobby was staying a few doors down to the right and Dean was directly across the hall.

Bobby wouldn't let him help. He'd say it was too dangerous and probably a trap but Sam _had_ to help whoever was out there. It almost felt like he didn't have a choice. The best thing about having these abilities was that he could help people more easily.

He opened the door across from him and immediately the form in the other bed seemed to sit up.

"_Sammy, whas wrong?_" Dean yawned. "Bad dream wake you up?"

Sam shook his head and ran over to his brother and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Clowns or midgets?" his older brother joked, still half asleep.

"Neither. Someone's out there." Sam hissed. Dean straightened up instantly, wide awake now.

"What? Where?"

"I don't know, but they need help. They sound hurt and Bobby wouldn't let us help -"

"-Yeah, Sam because it's no man's land for us out there right now. You know that already. I made a deal but it only holds out if we keep our end of it. We stay invisible."

"But _Dean_," Sam complained. "She sounds like she really needs _help_."

"Call 9-1-1 then." Dean grumbled and rolled back over onto his pillow, he didn't want Sam to see his expression. He was never very good at hiding guilt.

Sam was shocked. His big brother took care of him _and _Bobby and almost anyone within a 10-mile radius if he could. The boy pulled a face of grim determination and climbed up onto the bed completely and then sat on his older brother's shoulder. He would _not_ be ignored and neither would the girl.

"_Hey!"_ Dean grunted a complaint, reaching back with one arm to shove off the unwanted weight. _Sam was getting bigger_, he realized and frowned that his little brother seemed to be outgrowing him. "_You're too big for this!"_

"Get up." Sam ordered, wobbling slightly from being shoved but returning almost immediately. "I'll get off if you get up." he baited.

Dean rolled his eyes. _Why did little siblings have to be so persistent and annoying?_ He shoved his brother off again and kicked his feet out over the bed before standing up on the hardwood floor. It was colder than he'd anticipated and his toes scrunched up a little to be warmer.

"Happy?" he sighed and Sam grinned. "It's friggin' cold Sammy. I don't want to go out there and you most definitely are not even _allowed_ to go out there unless this house is burning down."

Sam's grin dropped and was replaced by a frown...then a pout. He looked up at his brother, sending mental repetitions of _Please?_ and widening his eyes as much as he could without making it too obvious.

Dean tried not to look at it. _Not the stupid puppy dog eyes. No sir, it won't work this time. Not on me. Never again._ Sam tilted his head slightly to appear in his brother's line of sight better.

"No." Dean said simply. "I won't do it." He glanced at Sam for only a split second before looking off to the side. "It's not going to happen, Sammy. No." The little brother was still in the older one's peripheral vision. "No...no...nope…"

Finally, Dean's shoulder slumped and he glared at the not-so-little-anymore one with a sigh.

"...I hate you." he said quietly and grabbed his shoes and a jacket.


	16. Chapter 16

He opened the door as quietly as he could and watched his breath fog up the air by the light of the stars. He turned back to his little brother and pulled a face to make sure it was clear he was not enjoying this and revenge would come soon.

He stepped out the door and felt mildly paranoid when he turned back for a moment.

"If I'm not back in 2 hours or more without calling or texting you, you wake up Bobby." he ordered and Sam nodded resolutely. "And so help me, if I die I will haunt you to the end of time for making me be a Good Samaritan." he glared before turning back and starting out toward the shouts.

* * *

He gave himself about 20 feet from the house before shifting enough to run faster than the track star at school. It felt good to let go like this. Running was his favorite way to let off steam followed shortly by breaking or hitting something that made a satisfying enough cracking or smashing sound. Bobby had almost an entire room cornered off in the house full of old relics he didn't care about anymore that he let the Betas wreck on bad days.

Dean slowed down a bit more when the sound was close but...he bit his lip...it was getting quieter and if they were hurt…

He ran a little faster toward the sound and then froze when something snapped off to the side. He whipped his head around to see what made the noise. There was a low sort of grumble and Dean braced himself for an attack but the form turned and skittered away through the trees. Dean took a step back apprehensively before shaking his head. Whatever it was, it was something calling him. Trying to make him follow. He took a step toward it then stopped and clenched his fists. That shouldn't happen. He tried to think about what it could mean before remembering the girl.

The voice sounded only a dozen yards in front of him when he stopped to get a better view of the clearing. He smelled blood and saw something lifeless and something else moving next to it. He must've been noticed because the living form shivered and seemed to turn towards him

"Is there someone there?" it squeaked. Sam was right, whoever this girl was, she sounded hurt but trying to appear tough to whatever lurked in the woods. "He-help me please." she sputtered.

* * *

Jo bit back tears and looked down at her trapped foot. She'd tried to get it loose or stop the bleeding from it. Her jacket was wrapped around it and she felt miserable from the stinging cold that was gnawing at her fingers. Her phone had long since died and she felt like a ditz for not charging it before coming out on her own.

Her vision was darkening at the edges...that or the night was trying to swallow her. Either one was likely and she shivered again. Whoever was there hadn't moved toward her, it seemed to hide.

"Please?" she hated how weak she sounded and let the anger flare up in her. It kept her warmer, even if she was just mad at herself. Her head hurt and she felt dizzy.

* * *

Dean had bolted behind the tree the second she asked for help. _Hunter girl._ It was trap. It had to be, and he'd almost walked right into it...but then again… she seemed a little desperate out here and she had to be freezing without a jacket. He stopped and focused on his hearing and her in particular.

Breathing was stressed but slowing, same with her pulse. He straightened up a little. Her pulse was _very_ slow.

He stepped out from his cover.

"Careful...there's more of these…" she warned, sounding more distant from her words and unfocused.

Dean stepped carefully around them once he noticed the glinting metal. _Hunter girl stepped in her own trap, figures._ He tried to distance himself mentally. _This is what happens when you don't leave well enough alone._ He chided her mentally while stepping around another trap. His attempts didn't work very well, the second he saw her injury he instantly began to worry more. He even managed to ignore the gun that had fallen off to the side.

He looked down at the trap, the sharp points layered over with silver. _This is gonna suck._ He couldn't see another way to disable it in the dark, even with improved vision. He slid his hands inside the trap slowly, trying to ignore the wet warm stickiness of blood from her injury, and began to pull the trap apart.

The silver bit sharply into his fingers and he winced but continued until it snapped in two. He looked down at his now bleeding hands and frowned before turning to the girl. Her eyes were closed and he knew he had to act quickly. He wrapped her jacket tighter around the injury since there was no longer a serrated metal edge making it difficult and then wrapped his own jacket around her and scooped her up in his arms.

_Ugh… where to go. where to go?_ Back to the house? Bobby would probably kill him. Some place he could take a hunter. _Bunker._ He started on his way over. It had already been compromised according to Bobby since Lisa - he shook his head - _one of the hunters who was trying to kill them_, stumbled upon it.

She stirred slightly and seemed to panic, half consciously. _Lost too much blood. She's going into shock._

"It's okay. You're hurt but you're going to be alright." He promised. _Even though I'm breaking the last promise I made…_ he grimaced and kept moving.

* * *

Jo just felt variations of pain and ache in her head and coming from her foot. The ache in her head seemed set to a pattern. She was shaking to a sort of rhythm. _walking._ her mind told her. _I'm being carried._ John, it had to be John. He'd found her, she was okay...but it wasn't John. Her adopted father was much more...sharp? Whoever this guy was, he was taking specific care with her. Not to mention he didn't smell slightly of gunpowder and whiskey.

She opened her eyes and everything was blurry. _I lost a lot of blood._ her thoughts spun around her and she tried to see who was carrying her. She saw a smudge of color on his arm and focused on it as best as she could. Greenish swirls in a symbol she knew too well.

A symbol used by pack members. She gasped managed to disguise getting her earring out as a severe shiver of going into shock. She dropped it onto the ground behind her as a sign for them to find her before she felt the arms carrying her tighten in a reassuring way.

"_It's okay. You're hurt but you're going to be alright."_ he said quietly.

Jo wanted to shout but she didn't have the energy. _Not him! Please not him! I don't want to die!_ This was how it would end for her, she knew it. She'd be killed by the pack as a message to John and Lisa. _Maybe since he knew her, they might make it a quick end_ she thought _that or he'd want revenge for what we put him through..._ her mind suggested darkly before fading to the black of the night.


	17. Chapter 17

**Her eyelids felt heavy but she tried to ignore that. Her head and her foot both throbbed menacingly. What had happened? She opened her eyes finally and looked around. She was in a strange sort of tunnel...kind of like the one that-...****_oh crap_**

**She tried to sit up but a flash of pain shot through her and she fell back down, gritting her teeth. She had to get out of here. ******Now.****

**Jo turned when she heard movement to her left. She turned and saw someone hunched over in a chair, their hands holding their head and their elbows resting on their knees. ****_Oh no, it's Lisa's lover-boy._****She set her hands on either side of her for support and slowly managed to sit up. **

**She blinked away the spots and instead noticed the note that had apparently been placed on top of her blanket. She paused.**

**_Why do I have a blanket?_****She blinked again but not because of spots. ****_Better question: Why am I not dead? What's going on here?!_**

**She unfolded the note as quietly as she could, trying not to wake her sleeping guard. Maybe she could escape since he was oblivious enough to fall asleep on duty…**

**"**Dear Hunter girl, Hi. If I'm not awake, please don't kill me. Thanks. Sincerely, Dean."

**She gawked at it and read down to the scribble at the bottom of the page.**

**"**P.S. There's a bottle of painkillers on the table next to you if you need them. Also, don't mess with the stitching. That took freaking forever to do."

**Jo didn't know whether to laugh or shout for help or what. She just stared at it for a moment before glancing to her right. Sure enough, there was a little container with paracetamol and another with ibuprofen.**

**She glanced around, in case someone was watching and double checked that the Beta was asleep before casually pouring two tablets of pain meds into her hand. ****_They wouldn't try to poison me after all of this_****she reasoned. She swallowed them and wondered again why on earth she was still breathing.**

**A yawn next to her put her on high alert. She searched for a moment for some sort of weapon but nothing close to her could be used as one. ****_He probably did that on purpose the sneaky..._**

**"****You're awake, that's good. Are you okay? How're you feeling?" he asked. Jo studied him for some sort of tell that this was a weird trick she just hadn't figured out yet. Werewolves were dangerous and sneaky. That knowledge had kept her alive this long.**

**"****Tired and a bit dizzy." she admitted slowly. ****_Better to play along until I figure out what his game is…_**

**Dean nodded slightly before turning more serious. ****_Here we go…_****Jo braced herself.**

**"****Now, the question to ****_me _****is: Why are there ****_silver ridged bear traps _****all over the woods now?" he asked accusingly.**

**Jo was immediately on defense. "I don't know, we didn't put them there. I guess some other hunters must've heard all the stuff you and your pack has been up to."**

**Dean leaned back slightly in the chair and huffed indignantly.**

**"****Well, you could've fooled me. You guys are the only guys around here who would put up nasty suckers like that after I've told you guys time and time again, ****_my pack isn't responsible for those deaths._****"**

**"****Well, sorry but I don't usually listen to monsters and believe when they tell me they're all saints." she shot back.**

**Dean rolled his eyes. "Oh my gosh. I should've left you there." he muttered under his breath.**

**Jo's anger seemed to cool at that. It was true that he'd probably saved her life… but John and Lisa would've found her...eventually...****_right? _****She sighed and scooted to lean against the backboard of the sickbed she was stuck in. The movement cause a stab of pain in her foot. She winced and hissed slightly to prevent herself from shouting.**

**Dean moved forward and she backed away on instinct, causing a follow up yelp. The boy's eyes widened and he held up his hands as a gesture of peace.**

**"****Easy there, hunter girl. Let me help." he said and pulled up the end of the blanket. Jo saw the injury. The thought of it nearly made her stomach turn and she knew if Lisa were there, she'd start fussing over it immediately.**

**But what could be done, had. The deep cuts had been stitched up skillfully and wrapped a few times over with a bandage around the most severe areas. Only the redness and edge of the stitching peeking out would show anything was actually wrong.**

**She examined it for a split second before she saw the boy reach out toward the bandage and she flinched. He paused and looked at her for a moment before rolling his eyes and biting his lower lip. **

**He set his hand on the bandaged injury and an inky blackness seemed to infect the veins in his arm. He winced and scrunched up his face from pain and clenched his other hand into a fist.**

**Jo felt the effects instantly as the ache that had persisted past the pain medication dissolved. Her shoulders relaxed involuntarily. He pulled away, clutching the hand that had rested on the bandage, and looking down at it to hide the pain in his face.**

**The girl stared at him in surprise. It was fairly obvious what he'd done, especially from the new heaviness in his breathing that he was trying to disguise. He had taken her pain.**

**"****I-...I didn't know you could do that." Jo said quietly.**

**"****Yeah," he said between breaths. "Well, there's a lot you don't know about me and my pack, now isn't there."**

**Jo studied him silently, still suspicious that he was up to something. There had to be some kind of trick to this. There was no way a werewolf could be so...****_nice_****. It just wasn't possible. John had taught her to look for the hidden motives but none of her guesses for his helpfulness worked.**

**"****Hello? Earth to Hunter Girl? You alright?" he was asking and she blinked back to her surroundings. "You kinda phased out there for a moment."**

**She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I'm just wondering…"**

**He raised an eyebrow. "'bout what?"**

**Jo had to choose her words carefully. He was still a volatile threat, she knew this, anything could make him snap but...she had to know.**

**"****Why are you helping me?"**

**He didn't seem surprised by the question that much but found more that he didn't have much of an answer. He shrugged.**

**"****I mean it." Jo insisted. "Why are you helping me? I was the one controlling the dial when we were questioning you. My family wants yours dead. ****_Why are you being so-_****" ****she growled. Maybe this was his plan all along. To tick her off by acting so completely different from how he was supposed to. He was supposed to be menacing and dangerous but he was just...sitting there...asking if she was alright…****_why couldn't he just act like a normal monster?!_****she wanted to scream.**

**"****So...****_nice?_****" ****Dean asked a little hesitantly. "Acting like a decent individual?" he paused and then smirked. "I'm throwing you off, aren't I? I'm not fitting into your cookie cutter mold of what someone like me should be and you're getting mad about it. Well, newsflash, Hunter Girl; maybe your idea of who I should be is a little messed up."**

**She glared at him, not wanting him to have the satisfaction of being right.**

**"****My name is ****_Jo_****, not Hunter Girl. And if you're so admirable and peaceful, why are people still being torn apart out here?"**

**"****Well, ****_Jo_****-that's a weird name for a girl like you - it's not my pack but it is...something." He looked at the ground for a moment. He hadn't thought much about that...whatever it was, since last night. ****_What was it?_**

**The girl's eyes narrowed. "What do you know. Spill."**

**"****My brother found the first victims and told us about it. We knew you'd try to put the rap on us, or at least your dad-mentor-guardian-whatever would. My Alpha told us to try to stay away from it so it would be clear we weren't involved and you guys would lay off but that has clearly not worked out for us. There's another pack or something but they're ****_bigger_****and ****_stronger_****than any one Beta should be. And there's multiple by our guess. Hopefully just two but…" he glanced up at her. "Well, last night when I was coming to help there was something there…"**

**The memory made him shiver. "It was calling me. Trying to get me to follow...but only an Alpha should be able to do that but if it's wandering it's an Omega. They need at least one other wolf to keep their abilities so I don't…" he shook his head and noticed the look he was getting from Hunter Girl -****_Jo_****his brain corrected, like he was nuts. He slumped his shoulders, he seemed to be getting that look constantly from her.**

**"****What if it's a couple of wandering Alphas together?" she suggested.**

**Dean's eyebrows shot up as he thought about what it would mean. "Then we'd all be in trouble. Like of the seriously dead variety. Even my pack…"**

**He glanced down at the cell phone in his hands. He'd been keeping Sammy up to date so he wouldn't get Bobby involved by worrying too much. Dean debated sending him another text about Jo's theory. It held enough weight to it, two or more Alphas could keep their power together and still be on the move for better hunting.**

**Jo was looking at him funny again. He rolled his eyes and tried to change topics.**

**"****Well, that's our initial hostility handled for the meantime. Are you hungry? I think there's some leftover pizza around here in the mini fridge."**

**The girl's expression shifted to confusion. "You have a fridge down here? How?"**

**He shrugged back. "We've got a generator down here and a couple extension cords later, bingo: Cold refreshments anytime you need to hide for your life. I helped hook it up myself." **

**"****You've been in this area that long, huh?"**

**"****And we're hoping to ****_stay longer_****." he finished pointedly. Jo's head tilted to the side and Dean shook his head. "Do you want pizza or what?"**

* * *

**Hey guys! Thanks for being patient with me this week. I've been having trouble dealing with pounds of homework and a vast amount of sleep deprivation due to insomnia (fun times! I got two hours yesterday.) But I'm going to try to get back on track with this. It might take a while though with everything going on. Also, reviews? Anything? I've gotten some favorites and followers which I guess is nice but any ideas? Headcanons you think would fit? I don't know. How do you guys feels about their relationships the way I've written them? Anything you want me to change or include? I'll take it into consideration for the next few chapters.**

**Thanks! **

**Edwin Nigma**


	18. Chapter 18

**I'm sorry for the lack of anything concerning updates! I've been having trouble gaining internet access and getting past writer's block. Also testing at school is taking over my time right now so I'm sorry for future lack of updates...sorry... ~Edwin Nigma**

Dean returned a minute or two later holding a plate with two steaming slices on it.

"Don't tell me you've got a microwave too." The girl joked.

The werewolf made a dramatically scandalized face. "And have to eat only cold pizza? Unheard of. Only the best when we have to rough it. Besides," he added with a wink. "The fridge can only do so much by itself."

Jo found herself laughing at her very odd and unexpected caretaker. He handed her the plate and leaned back in the chair, humming a few bars of a song to himself.

"_And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight."_ he sang quietly, picking up a book.

"You're my candle in the window on a cold, dark, winter's night…" Another voice jumped in, startling the boy.

His face turned slightly red. "Sorry, that dumb song's been stuck in my head all day…" he mumbled.

"_Dumb _song? Kevin Cronin sings it from the _heart_." Jo protested.

"Nah," the boy chuckled. "He sings it from the _hair_. There's a difference." he explained.

"Oh, puh-_lease_." Jo rolled her eyes and they both laughed. Both momentarily forgetting they were supposed to be mortal enemies. They seemed to realize this a moment later and the laughter trailed off to an awkward silence.

"...There's something I need to know." The girl broke the silence with a serious expression.

Dean felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Something was wrong.

"Why…" the girl looked down for a second before looking the werewolf dead in the eyes. "Why are you so afraid of my father?"

"_Father?"_ his eyebrows shot up in surprise. It may have been exaggerated to draw attention away from her question.

"Well, he's not my _real_ dad but he basically is. He's more like my mentor though." she added as an aftersight of seeing walls jump up between them. "But really, why are you fine with helping me but you turned whiter than a ghost when you heard him coming toward us in the woods."

The boy wondered if the world was meant to spin in such a wobbly fashion. He dropped his head into his hands. He felt a glow behind his eyes...and no doubt showing through them. He closed his eyes and took a breath. _calm. control._

"I _really_ don't like talking about it." he answered.

"Tell me. Please. I need to know, something's been..._off_ about him since we came here. I need to know what."

Dean sighed and kept staring at the ground, eyes darting up to the girl for only a few seconds at a time.

"What did Lisa tell you about me?" he asked.

"Enough. She said she knew you when you were kids. Then she moved and your parents got attacked by a wolf and then a hunter and-...oh my gosh… You're not saying that _John_…"

He nodded slightly in response. "My theory is I look like my dad enough so he recognizes that...pretty ironic since I barely remember what he looked like now…"

"...I know how that is." Jo replied after a moment or two. "My real dad hasn't been in the picture for a long time either."

Dean chuckled but there wasn't any mirth to it. "Look at us, huh? A couple of arch enemies swapping sad stories about our sad lives. I can honestly say I never thought that would happen."

Jo smirked in response. "True. I never thought I'd have a chat with a werewolf over pizza so I guess we're both out of our territory here."

There was an ominous snap that echoed down the hallway, causing Dean to straighten up.

"Shh." he ordered instinctively.

"What is it?" Jo started but Dean motioned for her to be quiet.

He closed his eyes and his head tilted to the side slightly as he focused in on the sound. Suddenly his eyes shot open and he looked at Jo in shock.

"You told them. You led them here." He said simply and began to pack up everything he'd brought.

"What? What are you talking abou-"

"-_Don't lie to me_. I can hear what they're saying. You left them a sign to lead them to me." he growled.

Jo's eyes widened as she remembered the earring she'd left behind. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for-"

"Save it." Dean growled. "Thanks to you I'm going to have to try to shake them again. Maybe I'll get away but if I don't, then they won't stop with me." He turned to glare at her, his eyes glowed a fiery yellow. "They'll come after the rest of my pack. They'll come after my little brother so consider this a one time deal. Goodbye Hunter Girl."

He tossed his supplies over his shoulder to walk out the door. And then the glass ceiling shattered above them both.


	19. Chapter 19

**The readers have spoken and the show will go on. Here's a wink and a nod to Supernatural Justice for guessing what was coming next. Thanks for answering back! It's just nice to know people are actually reading and not just passing through.**

**Thank you! ~ Edwin Nigma**

The gas cannister crashed to the floor and began spewing smoke. Jo tried to get to her feet but was having difficulty with the injury. Dean bolted to the door as 2 people jumped down into the room.

Jo saw them both stand up and aim their guns.

"NO DON'T!" She shouted. The split-second hesitation was enough.

Dean turned down the hallway and ran for the 'back door' exit. Lisa picked up the cannister and switched it off. Wolfsbane might slow him down but not enough for them to catch up. He'd been expecting them. She turned to Jo and glanced at her injury.

"Jo are you hurt? I mean, I can see you're hurt but, are you okay?" She ran over and helped her to her feet.

"Fine, but you didn't need to do that to the guy." She scolded. She placed a bit of weight on her foot and winced just enough for Lisa to notice.

"Why do you care?" John asked, raising one eyebrow. "He's just a Beta."

Jo glanced for a split second at Lisa, who gave nothing away in her expression, and then shrugged. "Exactly, he's just a Beta. We need him to find the Alpha, right?"

Lisa frowned in thought. "He's probably gone by now and we need to get you home. Did he hurt you? I've been worried _sick_. Learn how to charge your phone _before_ you go off on your own!"

"Can't argue with you there." Jo nodded. "And no, nothing happened like that. Let's just go home."

John stared at the two of them. "You're both just giving up like _that_? What's wrong with you girls?"

They both looked at each other again, mentally debating about the situation.

"And _why_ do you keep looking at each other like that?!" he yelled. "We don't keep secrets in the life. Secrets complicate things and endanger people."

Lisa gave Jo a warning look but it was ignored. "Lisa let him go first."

"Traitor!" Lisa snapped at the confession.

"What? Lisa…" John's eyes narrowed. "Please tell me you don't have a soft spot for that _thing._"

Lisa straightened up and stared him in the eye. "That _person_ was my best friend growing up. Bite or no bite, he's been-"

"I can't believe this!" John cut her off and began pacing. "All this time I thought these guys were just getting more clever if they're smart enough to outsmart my girls but _now_ I see how things _really are_."

"It was a _one time thing_ and I-"

"-You've got a crush on him."

Lisa's found herself speechless and her face turned slightly red from anger and the embarrassment of the implication.

He turned suddenly to the second girl, who was watching the argument from the sidelines. "And _you_. You said she let him go _first_. Got any confessions to make there?"

Jo's eyes found the floor relatively quickly. "The other night when we followed the trail that the two Betas left behind. I spotted them but Lisa told me to keep quiet about it."

John gestured to the room they were standing in. "I take it they were in here? Lisa-" he threw the brunette a pointed look. "-led me here the second we found the earring you left behind."

"Yes, sir." Jo admitted. "But, John, I don't think he's that dangerous. I mean, I didn't patch myself up, here so maybe-" But he wasn't listening.

"Which means Lisa has been here too."The man looked back at the first girl and huffed. "A one time deal, huh? Does the coupon last for a month?!"

"He had his little brother with him! I couldn't just shoot him in cold blood!"

"Why not?! He'd just as soon do you in! He's manipulating you! Both of you! He's a monster it's _what they do_!" John shouted. "I thought I trained you girls to be _better than this!_ I took you in to get revenge for your loved ones, not so you could start _falling in love_ with the monsters that killed them in the first place!"

"They aren't the ones responsible for the attacks!" Lisa blurted. "They control the bite! They don't hurt anyone!"

"Did _he_ tell you that? Explain all the attack then? If not that pack, then _who_? Cause they sure aren't bear attacks like the Sheriff's Department says. I've seen them. It's a pack of at _least_ 3 with that level of carnage."

"He said they don't know yet but they want it to stop just as much as we do."

"And you believe everything he says now?" The older hunter asked. Both girls were silent. John sighed and put a hand to his forehead. "That's what I thought. That's it, both of you go home. You're staying home for the next few days except for school."

"You're _grounding _us?" Lisa asked, incredulously.

"Until this problem is dealt with, neither of you are coming on the hunts. If I can't trust you to tell me the truth or to even do your _jobs_, then I can't trust you to have my back out there." John said finally. He stared them down as though daring them to challenge his decision.

Jo was gnawing on her lip before she spoke up. "Both of us? I'm the one who told you. I should be able to go too. I even _led_ you guys to him." she protested. Of course, she kind of regretted that now. She'd started to get along with the guy, even if he dissed Kevin Cronin.

"While it's true that you've been more honest with me than _other people of late_, but you can't come. If you can barely stand on that foot of yours right now without cringing - yes, I saw that - then you can't go on hunts where there's going to be running and fighting. Understood?"

Jo's shoulders slumped. "Yes, sir…" she pouted slightly.

"Lisa, you take care of your sister. Make sure she doesn't do anything reckless and _you_ are going to be home with her 24/7, got it?"

Lisa rolled her eyes but nodded. "Fine."

* * *

Bobby just stared at him when he finished explaining everything. The Alpha didn't say a word. Didn't make one sound. Didn't even seem to blink. A full minute passed and Dean started fidgeting. He tapped his foot and then switched to tapping the table with his finger and then scratched the back of his head.

"Are, umm… Are you going to yell at me anytime soon, here?" he asked quietly.

Bobby took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. "Do you remember when I first met you boys?"

Dean nodded. Sam was standing in the doorway watching the whole fiasco unfold.

"You weren't more than 5 and Sammy here was just a year old."

Dean stared at the table. He knew this conversation would end with him feeling guilty about being so stupid as to actually _trust_ and _help_ a hunter so he decided to get a head start on the symptoms.

"You know, I'm _still_ not sure how you boys managed to stay alive and hidden before I found you. And when I did, I thought how smart you boys were if your instincts could keep you out of trouble even when you were little. I was so impressed that I decided it would be a great thing for me to take care of you both and teach you what I knew. You'd probably end up being the Alphas of your own packs down the road."

The older boy looked up slightly at that. _Alpha? Him?_ Then he remembered he was in major trouble and stared down again.

"Of course, if I'd known that you boys were going to fall for the _most obvious trick in a hunter's rulebook_ then I would've taught you _differently_. Only, the thing is, I had thought all this time that I'd taught you to be _smart _and not complete _idjits_! Do you have any idea the kind of danger you put yourself into?!" Bobby raised his voice and Dean knew the lecture had officially started.

"Yes, sir…" he mumbled.

"What could've happened to _you_ or to _Sam_ or to _any of us?_ Did you even stop to think about that?! You could've gotten a tracking device on you and led them right to us! You've already given away the bunker, you wanna give 'em the house too?"

"No, sir…"

Bobby's shoulders lost their tension suddenly. "And quit calling me, 'sir', boy. I'm not your drill sergeant, I'm just your guardian."

Dean nodded. It was a strange habit. He wasn't entirely sure where he picked it up but that was neither here nor there.

"...Where was I?" Bobby asked, frowning and trying to locate his train of thought.

"You were telling me how I was being reckless and dumb and giving away our locations." Dean muttered.

"Right, thank you." he nodded and cleared his throat before launching back into his rant. "If you had just _thought_ for one _tiny_ moment about the consequences, would you still have done this?!"

Dean shrugged. "Maybe, she was hurt."

Bobby stared at him again and scratched his beard in thought. "You know, I don't intend to raise you boys to think helping people is bad, that's the last thing I want. But there's a difference between helping a _civilian_ and helping a _hunter_ who has been trying to _kill_ us for the last month and a half."

"Sorry."

"You'll be apologizing when we're _dead_. In the meantime, Sammy -" the younger boy looked startled that he'd been mentioned. "- Yeah, nice innocent look." Bobby snorted. "Don't think I don't know you helped put him up to this. It's written all over his face that he did it for you so you probably guilt-tripped him into it. You're in trouble too. Your talk is next."

Sam kicked the door frame and sulked noticeably at the news.

"Now, Dean, you explained to me about how you met the one girl and how big a crush you had on her when you were kids and it's all very cute but do you _know_ why the most successful hunters are _women?_"

"...I have a guess."

"Oh, well, then, by all means, share with the class." Bobby invited, his voice dripping with sardonicism.

"For the reason that most werewolves are guys."

"_Exactly._ It's not just in the stupid high school dating scene that the girls tend to know more about how to make a guy do what she wants for them. Female hunters are trying to trick you. They try to make you _trust_ them, make it seem like they're on _your side_ and then once you turn your back you get a silver bullet in it."

Dean frowned. "Bobby, is this just you trying to keep me from dating anyone? Cause if you're trying to give me the _Talk_ again, I'd like time to tear my own ears off first and tell Sammy to run for it."

"No. Quit interrupting, you smart aleck." The Alpha growled

The older boy smirked slightly. "Alright, alright. But I get the gist of it, okay? I'm a teenage boy werewolf and therefore more likely to be shot at by a teenage girl hunter. Right?"

"Right. Glad to know you boys aren't _completely_ dense. Although you could've fooled me." Bobby grumbled. He took another deep breath and Dean braced himself again. "That doesn't justify what you did, though! Do you _want_ to get yourself killed? Do you _want_ for those hunters to find us?! They'd burn this place to the ground! They don't follow the Code! They're just killing for the sake of killing!"

Dean shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"Do you have any _idea_ what it would be like for me and Sam if you'd gotten _hurt_?" Bobby asked quietly.

Dean shook his head slowly. He hadn't expected that, entirely, which made it sting a bit more than the scolding he'd been getting seconds before.

"'Course you don't. That's alright for now, though. The important thing is you're still okay… now c'mere I've been shouting at you for the last few minutes."

Dean stood up and Bobby pulled him into a bear hug.

"Don't do anything stupid like that again without the proper warning so we can back you up, okay?"

"Alright."

"Good." Bobby stepped back and patted Dean's shoulder and then turned his gaze to the boy in the doorway. "Your turn. Sit down. Dean, you can go now."

The older brother nodded and walked out and Sam quietly took his brother's seat. Bobby sighed again and looked at the younger boy. He was getting tall, very tall. They'd have to replace his whole closet soon. It made the Alpha feel old to think about.

"You boys are gonna give me grey hair, you know that?" he asked quietly.

Sam nodded. "You've said that before."

"'Cause it's _true._" he articulated. "Parenting is not something I saw myself doing and parenting boys who don't know their own strength is even more difficult."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, clearly confused.

"I mean, you don't seem to realize how much sway you have over you big brother. If you ask him to do something, he does it."

Sam opened his mouth to protest but Bobby held up a finger to silence him. "I didn't say he'd do it without a bit of an argument. He'll fight back if he doesn't want to and he'll try to get out of it if he can, but when _you_ tell him to do something and you're persistent about it, which you usually are, it's like he's obligated to do it."

Sam blinked and thought about it. It was relatively true, he had to admit. Dean always complained about his 'puppy dog eyes' as he called them. They always seemed to get Sam whatever he wanted whether it was an extra scoop of ice cream or his choice of the movies.

"That's a useful thing, for sure. You can get him to do his chores when he's in a bad mood next weekend for me. But, Sam, it's also dangerous."

The younger boy frowned. "How?"

"You're the one who got him to leave the house in the dead of night and go try to help that girl. My guess is he told you what I had told you both already, which was to _stay in the house_, but he left anyways. _Who's responsible for that?_"

Sam didn't meet Bobby's eyes. "Me."

"At least in part, yes. But I'm not gonna deny that Dean makes his own choices, some smart, some not-so-smart like listening to _you_ all the time when you pout. He tries not to act like it but he's always itching to help someone else, which I can't really blame anyone for since it's not a bad thing and it's who he is. Simple as that. But you've got to watch out for what you're pressuring him to do, that's all I'm saying."

Bobby glanced around the kitchen they were talking in and tried to think of what else to say. "You know, I wanted to shout at you too to make it more fair but I'm getting too old to keep that up for too long. I guess just, think about how often your big brother's got you back. I don't think I've ever seen you get so much as a scrape without him fussing over it when you were kids and he still worries about you. He's quick to get into things when you're involved so you need to keep him in check. He's your older brother so he's going to look out for you more than you can watch out for him but remember that it is a 2-way street, okay?"

"Okay." Sam replied. It was strange to think about, but he understood what Bobby was talking about.

There was a muffled _crash_ that came from the downstairs. Neither one had to ask what it was.

"Well," Bobby scratched the back of his head. "You might want to go down there and tell him he didn't do anything _that bad_. **Stupid**, yes, but not _bad_. You know he takes these things too hard on himself."

Sam nodded and went down to the "wreck" room and Bobby smeared the wrinkles in his face to relieve some of the tension. Parenting was tough but he knew he wouldn't trade his boys for the world.


	20. Chapter 20

**I base this scene on my own relationship with my sister because she's awesome. I don't know which is which though. We could be either one. ALSO I won't be able to update for a while because I'll be at camp all of this week and won't be back 'till Saturday so. Sorry! I'll update when I get back! In the meantime, here's some ridiculousness that's gonna play a part later... for is, for the meantime, for laughs.**

Lisa and Jo were _not happy_. Their annoyance at their predicament was targeted at each other for the most part.

"_Traitor._" Lisa would hiss over breakfast.

"_Coward." _Jo would reply over lunch.

"_Backstabber._" Lisa would shout over dinner.

"_Love-struck Idiot._" Jo would bellow over dessert.

And so their days would carry on. By the third night, Lisa's bitterness had built up exponentially. Jo's mostly healed foot was propped up from where she was sitting back and watching a movie while Lisa stood over her and glared.

Jo absentmindedly held out the bowl that had been sitting next to her before. "Popcorn?"

"No. I don't accept food from people who stab me in the back at the first opportunity." She seethed, hoping the anger in her voice would alert Jo to how pissed she was at her sister.

"'S a shame. It's pretty good." Jo set the bowl back down as though oblivious.

Lisa's annoyance peaked and boiled over. "_Quit ignoring me while I'm mad at you!"_

"Why?" Jo asked coyly. "Does it _bug you?_"

"**YES."**

"Good." Jo scooped another handful of popcorn and snacked on it with relish.

"How could you just _turn on me like that?!"_

"'S like John said, secrets get people killed. I don't want John to die and I don't personally want to die so I told him. I don't really want _you_ to die either, at least, not unless it's by my hand for dragging me into this mess and getting me in trouble."

"Jo, we're sisters. Our whole lives are almost dedicated to keeping secrets from dad."

"They've never been an actual life-or-death thing, though, Leese. **Never**_._ We _keep_ sleepover level secrets like when you have a crush. We _tell _danger-level secrets like when you have a crush on a monster who's part of a pack of monsters that like to eat people like you and me for breakfast." Jo snapped before turning back to her movie.

"He's not like that and you know it."

"Oh yeah? Prove it."

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "He stitched up your foot even though you tried to kill him. _Twice._"

"He's trying to trick us. If we sympathize with him, his whole pack gets off scotch-free."

"He was trying to be a good person, not brainwash you."

Jo lolled her head to the side. "And what makes you so sure he's such a good little Eagle Scout?"

Lisa folded her arms and may or may not have lifted her chin a little bit higher. "Because he knows how to do stitches. What kind of person who had the ability to heal within seconds of a scratch learns how to perform perfect stitches if he didn't learn it for someone else?"

Jo opened her mouth to speak but pursed her lips in thought. "_Dang. That's a good point._" she muttered.

Lisa grinned smugly.

"But I'm pretty sure even werewolves need stitches from time-to-time though. Like if they get badly injured or something. That's probably how he picked up on it." Jo argued but with an air of nonchalance so it would be harder to contradict without seeming over the top.

Lisa's grin turned into a scowl. "Why are you so intent on hating him? Seriously?!"

"Why are _you_ so intent on him being _perfect?_ Huh? How do you know he's never _killed_ anybody? _Huh?_ Did you ever ask him that while you were busy drooling over those big green eyes and the freckles?"

"He's told me that no one in his pack hurts _anyone_."

"That's _present tense_." Jo challenged. "That means that's just a current thing. Maybe it even started that week for all you know and he'd still be telling the truth. He could've decimated someone else's family once and you would be none the wiser."

Lisa fumed and tried to figure out a way to defend her old friend but his words came back to her.

"_It was...__**I**_ _was worse before. It's not his fault_"

She never did follow up on that. For now, she had to bluff.

"I just know it, okay? And besides, I try not to judge people by their past actions."

Jo stared at her and blinked slowly. "Did I just hear you right? You once held a grudge against me for 3 months when you found out I'd lost your favorite CD when you were 6. And you found out when you were 12."

Lisa's face turned a bit pink despite her already bronze-ish complexion. "People change. I'm turning over a new leaf... Don't judge me by my past actions."

Jo just laughed. "Whatever you say, sis."

She patted the empty space on the couch next to her for Lisa to sit down. The other girl flopped dramatically into the cushions.

"Are we still going to be mad at each other?" she asked.

Jo shrugged. "Yeah, a little. You're my _widdel sis_, we're not supposed to get along that often."

Lisa slugged her in the arm. "You're only a year older, don't get all _high and mighty _on me just cause you turn 18 in a few months. Now pass me the popcorn, it smells really good."

Jo obliged but then yanked it back at the last second. "Ah, ah, ah. Hold up, you have to promise me you won't let some guy get in the way of the sacred bonds of sisterhood ever again."

Lisa pulled a face but Jo remained impassive. "C'mon, Leese. This applies to me too."

"...Fine." Lisa agreed reluctantly. "Now pass the snacks."

They both turned their attention back to the film, both ignoring the crackling sounds the other was making as they ate the popcorn.

"I don' even know why you like dis guy so mush." Jo commented between chews before swallowing. "I mean, he's not as cute as Tom Cruise, here."

"Oh, shut up." Lisa grumbled. "I think he's cute. Joanne, don't talk with your mouth full." She got an impish glimmer in her eyes. "You'll never get Tom Cruise with manners like that."

Jo ate a deliberately large handful of popcorn and chewed it loudly before gulping it down. "Maybe so, but I'll probably get someone cooler than a werewolf. I'm practically _dripping_ with suitors all begging for my hand, can't you tell?"

"Ha! That'll be the day… If it ever did work out, my boyfriend would be infinitely cooler than yours."

"Whatever. You know what _I think?_"

Lisa frowned and turned to her sister and tuning out the movie. "What do _you_ think?"

Jo grinned wickedly and turned up the volume to the movie and Jo began to sing along.

"_You've lost that looooovin' feeeeelin'...woah, that looooovin' feeeeelin'..." _

Lisa's face lost all expression and she stood up. "I'm outta here, you're being lame."

"Aww, c'mon Leese, you know this song just as well as I do." Jo teased.

Lisa couldn't help but laugh at that. "That's beside the point! You're being all dorky again and besides, I'm getting up early tomorrow to finish homework."

Jo rolled over on the couch with false drama. "Come back! Don't leave me here _**all alone!**_ I need the Goose to my Maverick!"

"I'm going to _bed_!

"Never leave your wingman!"

"You will survive! Good night, you massive nerd!"

"_Bring back that loooovin' feeelin'"_

"Save it! Good night!"

Lisa turned to go up the stairs to her room when the front door burst open and John collapsed in the entryway, bruised and bloodied.

"JO GET HERE QUICK!" Lisa shouted.

Needless to say, Lisa didn't get to go to sleep early.


	21. Chapter 21

18 stitches total. Lisa wondered if she should add one more for the cut above the forehead but Jo put a butterfly bandaid over it to keep the skin together. After a while, their father settled into a more peaceful sleep on the couch where the movie had ended without anyone caring anymore.

Lisa paced a little bit with worry. "What do you think happened to him?" she whispered.

"What do you _think_? He found the Alpha and looks like he barely got away." Jo snapped from the stress but it was clear who she was really angry at and it wasn't her little sister.

Lisa picked up on it instantly. "It wasn't his pack. Or, at least, if it was they were acting in self defense. John meant to kill them after all."

"Quit defending your boyfriend!" Jo shouted and the figure on the couch groaned and rolled over. They moved quickly out of the room to continue their argument.

"What happened to the _bonds of sisterhood_ deal, huh?" Jo demanded.

"You're the one who's causing the trouble here." Lisa reminded.

"I am _not! __**He**_ is! That stupid Beta that you're crushing on. Is this not enough proof for you? You own father is passed out on the sofa with a _crap_ load of _stitches_ and you keep trying to defend the thing that did it!" Jo shouted. "I met the guy. I thought he was a decent guy but obviously I was wrong. This is _too far!_"

"Jo, he's -"

"-I'M NOT LOSING MY FAMILY AGAIN TO THOSE THINGS!"

The other girl grew quiet at the outburst. Jo began quietly picking at the necklace she always wore. Lisa thought back to her mom. She missed her terribly and she felt her heart harden toward the reason why she was alone, the reason John had to take of her and Jo. The reason why they now needed to take care of John.

"Okay…" she nodded her resolve. "Okay. You're right. This needs to end."

Jo followed the action. "I'm glad you came to your sense."

"It needs to be over." Lisa continued. "It doesn't matter in the slightest if it wasn't necessarily _Dean_ who attacked."

"Exactly. He's one of the pa-"

"-And it doesn't matter that we have no actual evidence that it was his pack…"

"-Don't you dare do what I think you're trying to-"

"And it doesn't matter that every time we actually _see_ him and _talk_ to him he's tried to help us out…"

Jo glared at her. "Guilt tripping won't work here."

"And, of course, it doesn't matter at _all_ that the only time we ever actually _hear_ that he's bad is from our dad, who's trying to kill the whole pack." Lisa went on. "Or that they clearly have some kind of history that John hasn't told us about. Or that he's been continually breaking the Code with this pack. Or that two of the pack members are still underage according to the Code but, by all means, if you really _want_ to trust John and go along with him to go after the guy who stitched up your foot and his little 13 year old brother. By all means, go ahead."

"I can't believe that after _everything_ we have _both_ been through thanks to these monsters, you're just going to let them off the hook-" Jo seethed.

"-Revenge won't bring them back!" Lisa cut her off suddenly. "Jo, we went to school with him. You've seen how protective he is of his little brother. He freaking _meditates _to stay in control on the full moon! What kind of monster does that?"

"Apparently, even the kind we hunt. That's our _job_, Leese. People are getting hurt and now John's one of them. This pack has gotten into your head and you need to realize that let go of your dumb feelings for the guy, okay? Please. This is just going to get you hurt if you don't and I can't let that happen to you."

Lisa thought about it in silence. It was true that she didn't even know if there _was_ some other pack responsible. She had only spoken to Dean about 3 times since they were little. He could easily have changed over the years and the odds of there being another pack in the same area were slim to none. Now, her father was hurt and her sister wanted to her to help track down whoever was responsible.

She had trained for this for years, even if she didn't like it. Hunting was a part of her now and it was an Arian's responsibility to stop monsters. And there was a whole pack.

"Okay, fine." she muttered. She meant it this time. "Let's get some more target practice then."


	22. Chapter 22

**Based the on the ideas of Missy Miss. Well, no not ****_based on, _****but with direct reference to our phone discussion. Also I hope you guys enjoyed my not-even-close to subtle resources to Top Gun in the earlier chapters (and wink &amp; nod to ****_Dark Angel_****). Also, I apologize for the gap in updates. I updated right after I got back from camp and since then, I've had trouble trying to get to the computer to write while I split my time to getting an actual paying job nearby so... yeah.**

**Also, reviews never hurt. I'm still a bit ... I can't quite find the words. ****_Hesitant? Paranoid? Anxious?_**** Some mixture of that, about this story so... yeah. Also I might post some ****_Dark Angel_**** fics and maybe a ****_Divergent_****/SPN AU type thing like this one if you guys are interested. If not...don't read them I guess.**

**Anyways, back to the story.**

* * *

Cabin fever was settling in. Sam had gone up the stairs 6 times in the last 20 minutes and returned slightly grumpier each time. He scowled when he saw his brother so calm.

"_How are you even doing that?_" he growled.

Dean just shrugged. "Practice."

"We've practiced before and I distinctly remember you _sucked_ at keeping it together on nights like this."

"Maybe I've found an anchor." The older brother answered. _Alpha, Beta, Omega…_

Sam sat down on the floor across from him but Dean didn't open his eyes to look at him. Sam frowned. "You're talking about that girl aren't you." he complained.

Dean didn't answer verbally but Sam saw a flicker of a smirk before pulling a face. "Gross. You're goin' all soft on me over some _hunter girl._ Didn't Bobby tell you she was bad news?"

"Yes." Dean replied. "And I get that. Don't worry."

"Then _why_ do you still like her?"

"Liking the _idea_ of someone is different than liking the person themselves."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "But you like _her._"

Dean opened his eyes to glare at his brother. "Shut up." he closed his eyes again and took a deep breath. "Besides, you can't act all high and mighty when I've seen you hanging out with that blonde chick in your class."

The younger Beta turned slightly red and Dean was having difficulty not grinning from his trump card.

"How do you know about Jess?" Sam frowned.

"_Jess?_ Huh. Good name." Dean nodded in approval and Sam was glad his brother couldn't see how red his face had gotten. "What's she like?"

Sam stumbled on the words. "She's the same age as me but just a few months younger… she's really funny and nice and….umm…"

Dean's grin grew progressively bigger. "Awww, Sammy." he looked up and playfully slugged his brother in the arm. "You've got it _bad_."

"Do _**not!**_" Sam defended.

"Hey, it's alright." Dean chuckled. "Bound to happen eventually, ya know."

Sam looked down at the floor to hide his face before mumbling something.

"What was that?" Dean asked.

"Well…" Sam looked up at his brother in exasperation. "You're always good at talking to girls. What do I do?"

A sloppy kind of grin began to slide onto Dean's face.

"Don't laugh! Just answer the question!" Sam insisted before his brother could make fun of him.

"Alright, alright. You wanna know my golden secret to talking to girls? Here it is…." He began and looked very serious indeed before leaning forward and glancing around as though afraid of being overheard. "You pick one that you want to talk to…"

Sam nodded.

"And then…"

"...Then _what_?"

Dean sat back up suddenly. "You talk to them like you would talk to any other person. The End. That'll be $20 for my advice."

"Dean, I'm serious!"

"So am I." Dean shrugged. "She's a person. Don't treat her like she's beneath you and don't really joke about it either until you really get to know her and know that it's sarcastic. And even then, don't do it often at all. And on that subject, don't put her on a pedestal either or you'll both end up disappointed and heartbroken. She's a person. Respect her as a person. Talk to her as a person. A very _beautiful_ person in your case but don't make her something she's not and don't make her feel like she's something she's not. Unless she wants you to but that's more for when you're older and actually dating. Don't get too stuck to anyone at your age, got it? But, yeah. That's my advice."

Sam blinked in surprise. "That was actually pretty good advice… I think."

"Thanks. I got it from a book."

"Seriously?"

Dean winked and went back to meditating. Sam still wasn't sure if he was kidding or not. Instead of thinking about it more, he laid down on the floor and stared at the ceiling.

"Dean?"

"...Yeah?"

"I'm bored."

"You've said that about 30 times now."

"Cause I _am_."

"Then do something."

Sam sat up. "Like _what?_" his eyes flashed gold.

"Try what I'm doing. It's not that bad."

Sam got to his feet and rolled his eyes. "You're terrible."

"You're jealous." Dean snapped back.

Sam stormed out of the room.

* * *

Dean waited until Sam left and then a few minutes past that to make sure Sam was far away when he pulled the cell phone from his pocket and stared at it again. He'd added Lisa's number to his contacts list the minute she'd given it to him in class but he hadn't dared to call it. Now, with Bobby telling him he was stupid for even speaking to her, he wondered if he ever would.

But he knew he wanted to. He clicked on the number and stared at the "Call" button. Even if she did pick up he had no idea what to say. _And after that great speech I gave to Sammy..._he frowned.

She might be nice. She might try to kill him. She might not answer at all.

He clicked cancel and glanced at the ceiling for a brief moment before returning to the mantra. _Alpha, Beta, Omega...Alpha, Beta, Omega...Lisa…. Alpha, Beta, Omega ...Lisa…_

His fingers fumbled over the screen and he looked down at the number again.

_Call_.

Couldn't hurt from such a long-distance, right?

"_Hello?_"

"Ummm, hey." His mind had gone entirely blank. He didn't really think he'd get this far and that he'd just end up leaving a message or ending the call before he could hear the end of the dial tone.

"_...This had better not be who I think it is."_ Her voice was dangerously low and it made him uneasy.

"O...kay then? I take it this is a bad time to-"

The other end clicked off without warning or so much as a '_goodbye'_. "-...or not. That's fine."

He looked down at the piece of technology in his hands and fought the urge to chuck it at the wall. Sadly, he didn't own a Nokia so Bobby would be mad at him if it shattered.

Something else started to shatter a little too but he very much doubted anyone would care too much about it except him. He was the only one who could feel it, after all.

* * *

**I kinda based it off the phone call from the show when Dean gets cursed to have everyone tell the absolute brutal truth and Lisa picks a bad day to call... yeah... I just made myself a little sad. It's 2 am where I am so I'm closing up shop for the night. G'night readers**


	23. Chapter 23

**First off, I'm am SOOOOOOOOO sorry for having this long of a break between chapters but I've been traveling around a million places and only a few of those have any kind of internet service and fewer still that I can actually access to work on this. That and I've had bad writer's block for a while and so I guiltily confess I went on a Netflix binge. And a Fanfic binge. Sorry. I'll put myself in the corner after this with my laptop until I come up with a good and proper ending...you know, maybe.**

**Words are hard people. And Endings are hard. Chuck was right.**

**Thank you and Sorry to the recent favorites and for all of you people who glance through this chapter and go 'eh, not bad.' even if you never touch the follow button. I still notice you. Thanks :)**

**Anyways, here's the next chapter. By the way, it's a long one with a cliff hanger so if you want to wait until Saturday to read it, go ahead but it's 1:35 am here right now. Also, sorry for spelling and grammar errors since I haven't entirely proofread the whole thing yet. Also, sorry for rambling.**

**~ Edwin Nigma**

* * *

No one was quite prepared for the next week's events. With their leader almost fully recovered after a few night's rest and proper medical care, the Hunters were back to checking the area. When John had recovered enough to wake up, his daughters has peppered him with questions demanding what happened.

He'd met the Alpha. Spotted it before it attacked and then it sprinted off after he managed to get a few shots at it, at least one of them had hit. He was sure of that, but unfortunately, he'd been hit as well and had to retreat.

They brought almost their entire arsenal with them (which was really saying something) and two sets of flashlights for each person.

"Make sure to be careful. It's a full moon tonight so they have the greatest advantage." John reminded them.

"Yes, sir." Lisa and Jo replied, double checking their ammo supply and the silver knives

attached to their belts.

With a few nods and no more words, they moved out into the woods.

The moon shone bright overhead, giving great visibility to the hunters...and their prey… The trees looked silvery in the light and it made Lisa smile slightly, until she remembered the grim goal that she and her family had set. By the end of the night, they would have to light a pyre for someone on either side. The young hunter couldn't help but hope that maybe they'd end up going home without incident.

That wasn't the case.

A loud howl turned their attention to a hilltop where a pair of red glowing eyes glared down at them. All three hunters drew their weapons but only two fired.

Jo turned sharply and found herself face to face with another pair of red eyes. _2 Alphas_. She fired twice before getting backhanded by the massive creature and crashing against a tree trunk.

"LISA! JOHN! Look Out!" She shouted. Jo began searching feverishly for the gun she'd lost.

Lisa turned as soon as she heard Jo firing behind them and saw her sister go flying. She cringed in sympathy for a moment before Jo shouted to warn her. Adrenaline seemed to explode inside her as she ducked under the Alpha's swipe and fired a shot into it's chest. The monster staggered backward and growled in annoyance.

_It should be dead. It should be dead. It should be dead._ Repeated in her mind.

_**But it's not. Now do something**_.

She sprinted off to the side opposite of her sister. The monster moved faster and tackled her to the ground. Sharp claws tore through the shoulder of her jacket as easily as through water before another howl sounded.

Both sides seemed to freeze for a moment as another pair of red eyes joined them.

"_Three Alphas?!_" Lisa heard Jo from the other side of the clearing.

The red eyes had 2 pairs of yellow with them. Lisa had a split second to realize it before they rushed forward. The crushing weight that pinned her down was shoved off and she stumbled to her feet. Someone offered her a hand and helped her up.

She froze when she recognized who it was. He shifted slightly back to normal but the yellow glow in his eyes remained. As did the smirk until his attention turned back to the situation and sprinted toward his Alpha. Lisa shook her head and regrouped with Jo and John against the other Alpha. They'd resolve whatever was needed later.

* * *

Bobby squared off from the other Alpha and snarled. Dean quickly moved behind him to back him up. Sam appeared on the left of him. All of the pack braced themselves for their opponents next move.

The wandering Alpha growled deeply and his eyes shone brighter. Dean and Sam twitched slightly. Both had the urge to join the other Alpha, the _stronger _Alpha…

"Don't listen to him, Sammy. He tried this before." Dean insisted.

The creature rushed at them without warning but Bobby retaliated in full. Snarls and shouts ensued and Dean watched anxiously for the opportunity to help while the two Alphas battled. He spotted one when the other Alpha kicked Bobby back and moved forward to continue the attack.

Dean charged forward and jumped onto the monster's back, digging his claws into the

thing that dared to mess with _his_ Alpha. Unfortunately, that just seemed to make it mad. He felt something slice his lower back but then another charging force knocked the werewolf off it's feet and onto it's face.

"Stay away from my big brother!" Sam shouted. Dean, on the other hand, quickly recognized they'd pushed their luck a bit much and grabbed his little brother and pulled him away from the beast before it could get back on it's feet.

Bobby took over from there. He quickly gained the upperhand and if he ever took a hit, Dean or Sam would intervene in some way to slow down their opponent. A shout rang out from the other fight. Everyone turned as the other wandering Alpha collapsed to the leaf and branch covered ground. Dead.

The Betas turned to their Alpha and their enemy. The red glow faded slightly in the monster's eyes and everyone knew it was over for him.

"Dean?" Bobby glanced at him for a moment and the Beta nodded.

The older brother dropped both hands onto Sam's shoulders and steered him away from the Alphas.

* * *

Jo gaped for only a moment at the sudden arrival of the pack before realizing the new plan and turned toward John and the other Alpha. Lisa had come forward to help as well despite her shoulder injury. Jo's head throbbed from hitting the tree but fought through it.

And then there was John. The older hunter only glanced back when the unexpected allies appeared but Jo could see he'd taken a few hits from the monster in front of them without seeing much progress of his own.

They were stronger than they should've been. Omegas should never have this much durability or speed but due to their Alpha ranking they made it work. That meant bad news. There was shouting from the other fight but Jo focused on her target. After all, this was why they practiced in the shooting range. She raised her weapon and fired but the monster moved with ridiculous agility and dodged it and the bullet fired from Lisa.

John ran forward with a silver machete and attempted to embed it into the creature but encountered it's claws instead. The force pushed him back and he staggered.

"John!" Lisa rushed over to him and Jo fired more bullets to distract the Alpha and hoped to get a lucky shot. The Alpha turned all of it's attention on her and they circled each other, waiting for the best opportunity to strike.

"Aww, look at you… You're mister tough guy aren't you? Certainly tough to _see_ with a face like that at least." She smirked and the monster charged. Before it could get close enough to Jo, the Alpha froze and jerked slightly before looking down at the silver glint sticking out of his chest.

"Leave my sister alone!" Lisa yelled. The Alpha turned sharply to face her before it's knees buckled and it fell down with the machete sticking out of it's back and through it's heart.

She glanced to Jo, who nodded she was okay, and then they both moved over to John.

"How're you holding up?" She asked. John looked paler than when she'd left him.

"Not sure. Are you two alright?" he asked.

"We're okay." Jo assured him.

Footsteps near them made them tense up. Lisa and Jo looked up to see the two Betas walking over to them. They paused a few feet away, studying the scene and seemed to be debating whether or not to move closer.

Finally, Dean nodded toward John. "He okay?"

Lisa glanced at him and then back to her mentor. "We're not sure."

Dean looked between the hunters before slowly moving closer and approaching the injured hunter. He wasn't sure how well he was hiding his nervousness but an injured hunter was about as safe as an injured lion in terms of striking out without warning if threatened. And this guy had all the training to kill anyone no matter how bad his injuries were.

Dean swallowed it down as best as he could. "Sir? I'm going to try to help, okay? Is that alright?"

Jo glared at him for a moment in suspicion but nodded that it was okay to her for him to be there. Lisa seemed to be trying to ignore him and instead was going through a small medical kit that one of the hunters must've brought along.

The injury didn't look good. Lots of blood had been lost already from the deep gashes in the man's chest. The scent was nearly unbearable but the Beta ignored it.

"Sammy, stay back there okay?" Dean ordered before looking up at Jo. If Lisa was ignoring him, he'd ignore her. "Jo… how deep is it?"

Jo shook her head. "Stitches won't help at this point."

"What should I do?" Lisa asked, shaking her head. Dean glanced at her and gave a small smile. So she was talking to him now. That was good news, he just wished it wasn't during such terrible situation. His smile faded and he looked back down at the fallen hunter.

"_I can't believe I'm about to do this._" he mumbled. "There's something I can do to help but I'll need your help too."

"What do I do?" Lisa asked again.

"Keep him calm and don't let him try to kill me. I don't know how aware of the situation he is right now and I really don't want him to use that silver knife on me if he panics."

Lisa frowned slightly. "Fair enough." She took the older hunter's hand. "Alright, now just keep breathing. We have a friend who's going to try to help. Try not to move. Just stay calm and let them help."

Dean slowly moved his hand toward the hunter and grabbed his arm just above Lisa's hand. Jo's eyes widened.

"Are you going to-?"

"-Yep. And… try to explain to your sister. I don't want her to kill me either." Dean nodded and stuffed a bit of his sleeve into his mouth before the familiar inky blackness seeped into his arm.

Lisa sensed him stiffen up at the same time that John seemed to relax more.

"What's going on? John? Hold on just a bit longer, c'mon." She looked up at her sister. "What's happening? Why aren't you helping John?"

Jo moved over to her sister and put an arm over her shoulder. "Leese. There's not really anything we can do anymore."

"But Dean said he could help! What is he doing then?" She turned immediately to the boy next to her and reached to pull his hand of when something like electricity shot into her fingers and her hand jumped back.

Lisa began to study the Beta in earnest. "What are you-...?" He'd started shaking a little bit, although from what, she wasn't exactly sure.

"Dean?" Sam decided on breaking his older brother's rules and came over to him. "Dean what's-" He stopped and studied the scene and realized what was going on.

Lisa and Jo both looked up at the younger Beta when he started to shake his head. "Dean you can't. You _can't._ He's _dying_. You can't hold on like this!"

Jo became a bit concerned. "Why can't he? He helped me when I was hurt."

"But you weren't _dying_. You had an injured foot! He can't deal with this much when he's just a Beta like me!"

Sam grabbed his brother by the shoulders and tried to shake him off but he stayed unmoved.

"What happens if he doesn't stop?" Lisa asked.

Sam's expression told her everything she needed to know.

"Dean. You need to let go. You've helped him enough. Let go." Jo attempted to pull his arm from the sleeve but it didn't work.

"_I don't know if he can even hear us._" Sam breathed just loud enough for the others.

"Dean, c'mon. Listen to your brother. You need to let go." Lisa tried grabbing his hand again and gritted her teeth through the pain. "He'll be alright now. You've taken enough. Let go."

She slowly pried his fingers away. He kept shivering and fell backwards but Sam caught him and eased him to the ground.

Jo saw a flashback to the last time she'd seen that happen to the Beta and a feeling of guilt built up in her. She turned back to her mentor and felt her heart stopped.

She very slowly moved her hand up to his neck and waited for a moment before closing his eyes. She wrapped her arm a little tighter around her sister.

"Leese… Dad's gone." she said quietly.

"BOBBY!" Sam shouted without warning. "Bobby! Get here quick!"

Jo nearly jumped at the sudden outburst and the obvious panic. "What's wrong?"

The Beta had started shaking as well and was blinking rapidly. "He's - He's not waking up."


	24. Chapter 24

**First of all, I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so sorry for making you guys wait this long! School's been taking a lot of my time and I hit a hard wall of writer's block and it took me a while to find a suitable grappling hook to get over it.**

**Thank you to all you wonderful people who've favorited this story and followed it! Seriously, you guys are awesome! It forced me to jump back into action and keep writing. THANK YOU!**

**Also, as always, you guys can feel free to message me or write reviews. I'm not a scary person... unless you get between me and dessert... but other than that I'm pretty nice. My next fic will likely be something about Dark Angel but I'll wait until it's finished before I get too many hopes up before getting stuck again.**

**Thanks again! (In case you didn't pick up on it, you guys rock)**

**Sorry if the very ending's a a bit clipped but I felt like you guy's had waited long enough.**

**~ Edwin Nigma**

* * *

Bobby stared down at the remains of the other Alpha when Sam started shouting. Horrible reminders of the first time they'd ever met these hunters flashed through his mind. His boys were in trouble.

He was there in a split second. Sam was trying to shake his brother awake. It was too much like before.

"Sam, a pulse. _Tell me he's got a pulse._"

Sam quickly pressed two fingers to the side of his brother's neck. "Slow but still there."

Bobby gazed up at the starry sky for a moment and shook his head. "You boys are going to be the death of me." He turned his attention back to Dean.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" the blonde girl - Jo, Dean had called her - asked. Her voice sounded hollow and Bobby felt a sharp spike of sympathy and spotted the hunter that the girls were sitting by. The man Bobby had fought with weeks before had clearly stopped breathing.

"I'll handle this." Bobby declined gently. "I think you need to take care of you and yours." he nodded to Lisa and Jo mirrored the action.

"Dean? Dean c'mon. Wake up. _Please_." Sam seemed on the verge of tears. "Dean you're my big brother I can't lose you, _please_."

Bobby gripped the Beta's hand and slowly felt, without looking, the inky blackness seeping into him. "Come on, boy. You've got to fight it." Bobby muttered through gritted teeth. "Come on."

"_Dean?_" Sam tried shaking him again but it was half-hearted and slow as if he were afraid it would be for nothing.

"Dean, c'mon." Bobby agreed. "Do it for your brother. Come back for Sam."

Dean's eyes shot open. "_Sam?_"

Bobby released Dean's hand and breathed out a chuckle in relief. "No way that was what brought you back." He muttered in disbelief. "I mean, I was hoping it would, but-"

"-DEAN!" Sam cut him off and quickly wrapped his arms around his older brother. Dean seemed startled and even winced at the suddenness of the movement before hugging Sam back.

"You alright, Sammy?"

Sam nodded and wiped his face on his sleeve. Bobby noticed once again that he was starting to outgrow the hand-me-down shirt. _Teenagers_.

"_No! No!_ This shouldn't have-! This can't have-! NO!" Someone shouted and the pack turned their attention to the girls sitting next to them.

Lisa was shaking her head at her older sister before jumping to her feet and running off.

"Leese! Wait!" Jo shouted but made no move to go after her sister despite how much she clearly wanted to.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked.

"John, he-" her voice changed without her meaning to. "He-he's gone and Lisa… she won't accept it. She probably thinks it's her fault or mine."

Jo's gaze moved to the fallen hunter and stayed there. "I don't know what to do." she whispered but Dean heard her and immediately got up to his feet before nearly keeling over. Sam and Bobby both caught him before he could start falling.

"Easy there, boy." Bobby warned. "We just got you back, don't go risking it again."

"I need to talk to her." the 17 year old insisted.

Bobby and Sam shared a look. "I'll go with you." Sam offered. Dean frowned slightly at the insinuation that he needed help but accepted the help, albeit grudgingly. Slowly, they made their way after Lisa.

Bobby sat down on the ground next to Jo, crackling the orange and red leaves around him. "I don't suppose there's anyone else at your house?" he began.

Jo shook her head 'no' and sniffed before quickly wiping her eyes. "No, it's just -" her voice broke again. "Gosh, sorry I hate crying in front of people. Sorry."

Bobby sighed. "You've got nothin' to apologize for. Frankly, you have every right, right now. I'm an old man. I don't really mind when someone needs a minute to themselves. I _do_ mind the fact that you seem to apologize more than _Dean _for stuff you ain't responsible for."

Jo gave a short, weak, laugh at that before falling silent again.

"Okay, I think 'm alright."

"Alright, if you say so. If you'd like to, you and your sister could stay in some of our guest rooms tonight if you're not wantin' to go home just yet. We'll take care of your father."

Jo glanced up to where Lisa had disappeared to. Did she really want to take her sister to the proverbial lion's den? (well, _werewolf_ den, she reasoned) They'd been after this pack for months, why would they want to _help_?

"Don't have to, of course. Just want to make sure you two get somewhere safe tonight after all of this." The Alpha explained.

"Did you ever have kids?" Jo asked, startling the older man.

"I… not really. I almost was. My wife was expectin' when I lost her." Bobby trailed off. "But, I've got my boys so, I suppose I do."

Jo quirked a small smile. "You sure it wouldn't be too much trouble?" she was shocked at the words that came out of her mouth.

Bobby shook his head. "None at all. You can talk with your sister about it when she's feeling better."

"Thank you, sir."

The Alpha rolled his eyes. "What is _with you kids_ and callin' me _sir?_" he muttered. Jo stared at him in confusion before he gave a reluctant smile. "Name's Bobby. Or you can call me Mr. Singer but I ain't no drill sergeant so they'll be none of the 'sirs', got it?"

The blonde girl raised an eyebrow but nodded.

* * *

"Lisa?" Dean and Sam took alternating turns calling her name as they followed the trail she'd left behind her. "Lisa, are you there?"

"Go away!" came the response. Sam and Dean glanced at each other and then turned to follow the source.

"I just got here and I'm tired." Dean complained to the space in front of them. Sam smirked at Dean's attempt at reasoning with the hunter girl. "Don't tell me I've been walking this whole time, nearly crushing my little brother by leaning on him, just to go back."

"Leave me alone, Dean!" the voice was closer now. The brothers turned to see Lisa sitting on a log with her face buried in her hands.

Dean pulled his arm from where it was thrown over Sam's shoulders. "_Dean._" Sam warned but the older brother ignored it.

"I'll be fine, just give us a minute." he assured quietly.

Sam's eyes narrowed. "You'd better not kiss her."

Dean pulled a face. "Oh yes, and we're going to make you watch unless you get your butt out of here." he teased. Sam looked disgusted before turning away to leave. Dean smiled slightly at the success of his plan as his brother left. He was joking of course but Sam could tell when Dean needed him to listen.

Dean made his way over by Lisa and sat down next to her.

"What part of '_go away'_ and '_leave me alone_' did you magically not pick up on?" Lisa growled, looking up to glare at the boy next her.

"The part where I don't think you should be running away from your sister like that when she needs you." he answered honestly. "She's having just as rough of a time dealing with this as you are."

"_It's her fault._"

"No it's not."

Lisa turned back to stare at the ground and nodded. "I know… I'm just…"

"I know."

They sat together in silence for a few moments before Lisa inched closer to Dean and leaned against his shoulder. He tipped his head against her and felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth.

"Sorry I didn't believe you before." she said quietly.

"I probably wouldn't have believed me either, I've heard I'm a crappy liar."

Lisa laughed a little. "Now _that's_ something I definitely don't believe. You once had me convinced that if you told a car every day that you loved it, it would never die on you."

"That's _true_ though." he argued. "I've had the same car since I got my license."

"Yeah, _last year._"

"Alright, alright. But it's a working theory." Dean compromised. They settled back into the comfortable silence, looking up at the moon.

"Why did you come?" she straightened up.

Dean gave a sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well, Sam came because it was the 'right thing to do'" he added his own air quotes and then gestured in his younger brother's direction. "I came because of Sam." He pointed back to the direction they had come from. "And Bobby came because we're idiots and we're in way over our heads."

She smirked in response. "I guess that counts as an answer. Even if I don't think it's quite true."

Dean shrugged. "Believe what you will."

Lisa felt a warm arm wrap around her and somehow didn't feel the need to brush it off.

"I'm sorry about your dad."

The night seemed a bit colder at the reminder. "He's not really my dad." was all she could manage.

"But he acted like it for you guys. That means something."

"I would think you'd be the last person to defend anything about him."

Dean looked at the leaf-strewn ground for a moment. "It's true, I didn't really like him too much. I lived a good portion of my life waking up from nightmares thanks to him… but you miss him and I like you, so I'm sorry that you lost someone important to you."

Lisa turned to look at him. "Why did you try to help him? He's responsible for you losing your _parents_."

Dean bristled slightly. "I know… Maybe Bobby's dumb meditation is getting to me. I thought about just leaving him there. He could die feeling all the pain that my parents felts when he shot them."

Lisa's head tilted to the side before Dean continued.

"But I thought my parents would want me to be better. Bobby too. He's to me what John was to you. He took us in and taught us what he knew, how to control ourselves, you know? I just thought, if they knew that I could help and I didn't, they'd be let down, no matter who the person is."

"I think you're right." Lisa said. Dean raised an eyebrow. "That meditation stuff is getting to you."

Dean split into a grin. "I'll file a complaint with my Alpha. Maybe I'll get reparations."

_We were-...I was worse before._ The words echoed again and Lisa moved away a little bit. Dean noticed and looked confused.

"You said you were _worse_ before Bobby took you in… did you ever…?" she couldn't quite finish.

Dean didn't need her to. "No. I never killed anyone… I came close though."

Lisa waited for him to continue and he took a deep breath. "There was this older kid. I was about 5 or 6, he was closer to 8 or 9. His name was Gordon. He tried messing with Sammy. Sammy was just a year old and trying to walk but he thought it would be funny to keep pushing him down. I lost my temper… When I came too, there was blood on the ground. _So much blood_. He was still conscious, shouting at me and calling me a freak, a _monster_. I called 9-1-1. I told them there was a dog attack and an older boy got hurt and hit his head. They believed me but not the kid who was swearing that I had sprouted fangs and claws and attacked him.

"Bobby found us a few weeks later. I told him after the first month. I told him if he wanted me to go I would but asked him to watch out for Sammy and let me know he was okay. I wasn't ready to be a parent to him. I was just a kid. But Bobby was a grown up and he'd been helping so I trusted him with my brother. I trusted him with Sam more than I trusted myself after what I did to Gordon. I was scared I'd hurt him but… Bobby didn't send me away. He taught me how to control it. At least enough to keep everyone else safe. He helped me get better."

Dean looked up at Lisa, looking for some kind of judgment from her. "That's all I got. Last of the deep dark secrets. Do you want to shoot me now?"

Lisa shook her head. "Maybe later. I don't feel like it right now."

"_Dean! You're taking __**forever**_." Sam's voice carried and the pair of people sitting on the log laughed.

"I guess we should go back." Lisa said.

"Fair enough." Dean slowly got to his feet, feeling much less dizzy than he had the first time, and hand in hand, they walked back to the others.

* * *

**Epilogue - Just a summary. Basically just snippets of the next few weeks.**

After the funeral for John, Lisa and Jo ended up staying at Bobby's for about a week with the Winchester brothers and their guardian.

Bobby contacted several good hunters he knew and told them the situation to see if someone was willing to come and take care of the girls. Eventually, a woman by the name of Ellen came to stay at the old house and essentially adopt the two sisters. Dean and Sam would often swap notes on the theory that there might be something between Ellen and Bobby and call Lisa and Jo to talk about it. The debate was never truly resolved.

On weekends, either pair of siblings would go to the other's house to watch a movie. Dean and Lisa would always sit together leaving Jo to look on distastefully acting as the older sibling and Sam playing the role of younger brother and pretending to throw up if the couple so much as held hands within his line of sight.

Jo was the first one to see them kiss. She turned bright red upon walking into the kitchen to see why making popcorn had taken so long and see the two of them before turning on her heel and walking out and complaining to Sam, who looked immediately furious and then gradually let it go.

Ellen's 19 year old nephew, Caleb, came to stay for a while at the household and was seen within 2 weeks of being there holding Joanne's hand and sitting next to _her _during movie night.

Sam sulked for a full day, cursing the others for 'betraying' him… until Dean forced him to talk to Jess at school. Dean would tease him the more he saw them together and most especially when Sam started grinning at nothing when he got into the car on the way home.

Within the space of 4 months, a sense of normalcy began to settle into their lives. No more worrying about wandering Omegas, just the tests at school. No more patrols through the woods, just a movie night that night to look forward too.


End file.
